The Challenger Returns
by Heroverse101
Summary: FULL SUMMARY INSIDE. 3 years ago, Ash Ketchum mysteriously vanished without a trace, leaving everyone he knew behind devastated. Now, the biggest tournament on history is being held in the prestigious Kalos Region. It's purpose? To put the strongest trainers against each other in a battle for Pokémon Master. But when the missing trainer from Kanto returns, how will everyone react?
1. New Beginnings

**The Challenger Returns**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, Sinnoh Remakes would be confirmed already.**

 **So, welcome to a brand new story that I've been working on. I'm putting my other stories on hold (namely Ascension) to work on this because I've been wanting to publish this story for a while. Anyway, this will be an Ash returns fanfic, heavily inspired by Younger P's "Revival at the Champion's League," one of my all time favorite stories on fanfiction. The reason why is because that is probably the only story which conveys Ash and everybody else's character seriously, so no OP Ash wins everything and betrayal or anything like that.**

 **By the way, there will be some Serena bashing because I personally think Pearshipping to be superior to Amour, and Serena seems like a desperate character anyway so she's perfect for the role I've given her (Serena fans plz don't hate me for this). But I'm not going to have her be a bad character at all, just some minor hate. Also, Ash will not be overpowered or cold towards his friends and deathly serious. He is the same Ash we all know and love (and apparently hate), but he isn't as dense and is just usually quiet, like our favorite red capped game protagonist from Pallet Town.**

 **BTW, I'm looking for some OC's as well, so if you guys want your OC to be featured in this story, please leave this information in your reviews:**

 **OC Name**

 **Full Party Pokemon (In some battles, there will only be 3 Pokemon used, so leave your desired choices as the first three in the party).**

 **Personality: A brief description of how your OC should act in the story, whether if their good sports and determined trainers or just cold hearted jerks who know nothing except for how to be a douchebag.**

 **Appearance: Well, I need to know how they look. Don't be too detailed, just list the clothes, hair style, eyes and skin color.**

 **That's all for now. Hope you guys enjoy the story! Remember to leave reviews!**

 **~xXx~**

Full summary: A loss can sometimes change a person. After Ash Ketchum mysteriously disappeared without a trace, his friends and family were left absolutely devastated. 3 years later, a tournament is being held in the exotic Dahara City, located in the faraway lands of the Kalos Region. Serving as the world's biggest event ever, trainers of all kind will be pit against each other in a battle for the best. Only the strongest of the strong can survive and go through the grueling journey. At first, entering the tournament seemed fun and worth a try, but when the missing trainer from Pallet Town returns to claim his place as the Pokemon Master, everyone has their mind set on finding their long lost friend. However, the Ash they once knew has completely changed and no one knows why. Along with old feelings resurfaced, ambitious rivals, and a dark plot endangering the lives of many, Ash and his friends are in for the toughest battles of their lives...

Normal talk

 _Thoughts/Letters/Announcements/Flashbacks_

 **Pokemon talk**

 _ **Talking through aura/psychic ability**_

 **~xXx~**

~[Chapter 1: New Beginnings]~

 **-Lumiose Conference-**  
 **-3 Years Ago-**

 _"Pikachu is unable to battle! Trainer send out your last Pokemon!" the announcer's voice boomed throughout the stadium. The Pikachu's trainer ran to the middle of the field where the mouse lay and picked it up, cradling it in his arms and thanking it for a good job. He walked back to his end of the field and threw out a Poke Ball._

 _"Greninja, let's go!" A blue, bipedal frog like Pokemon appeared on the field, letting out a determined "Gren!" at the sight of his opponent. The trainer and the Pokemon appeared to be in sync as they stared at their opponent across the field, fixing them with a determined glare._

 _The boy threw his palm out and shouted, "Water Shuriken!" Greninja gathered up water in its hands, shaping it to a large ninja star and chucking it at its opponent._

 _"Charizard, smash that Water Shuriken with Dragon Claw!" the opposing trainer shouted. The black and blue dragon let out a low growl before rearing its arm back and swinging its teal glowing claw, completely smashing the Water Shuriken apart leaving it unharmed. "Now, take to the skies and use Dragon Pulse!"_

 _"Greninja, dodge it and use Aerial Ace!" the trainer shouted. The ninja frog launched forward, running on the ground at breakneck speed with its arms behind its back and leaping up, avoiding the purple beam of draconic energy that crashed down where it stood just a second ago._

 _"Grennnn...JA!" Greninja exclaimed as it flipped over and kicked out with its feet, letting a blade of aerial energy fly toward Charizard, who swerved out of the way. The black and blue colored drake regained its previous position, hovering over the ground with its strong wings._

 _"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" the opposing trainer called out with a pump of his fist. Charizard reared its head back, gathering as much as hot flames as it could, then threw it forward and letting a volley of searing hot fire that soared towards Greninja at insane speed. That attack alone looked like it could do alot of damage, but the Greninja's trainer was ready._

 _"Dodge it!" he shouted and the Water type rolled out of the way as the flames crashed down on the ground, exploding and leaving a small, smoking crater in their wake. The Greninja stood up straight as it nodded to its trainer, who now stood in a similar position._

 _"Greninja!" The trainer seemed to be concentrating hard on something. "We'll get stronger! Together, nothing can stop us!"_

 _"GRENNNINJAA!" Greninja shouted, crossing its arms just like its trainer. A veil of water suddenly covered the ninja frog and its trainer had a blue aura glowing around him. Many audible gasps were heard throughout the stadium as the transformation finally finished._

 _The veil of water dissapeared and revealed Greninja standing in a different form. The most notable thing about the form was the large shuriken made out of water on its back._

 _"Greninja, use Water Shuriken then get in close with Night Slash!" the trainer shouted, making a throwing motion with his arm. In its new form, Greninja appeared to be more enhanced with speed and durability, as it concentrated enough water in its palms to create two large shurikens which were promptly chucked at Charizard at the same time, and then dashed towards the Fire type forming two purple glowing blades in its hands._

 _His opponent smirked. "Pretty clever, but don't think we'll go down that easily! Fire Blast, then meet Greninja head on with Dragon Claw!" Charizard growled an affirmative and blasted a large, star shaped fireball that flew towards the middle of the stadium and met head on with the twin Water Shurikens. Charizard then flew through the smoke and was face to face with Greninja, lashing out at the Water type with its teal glowing claws, which were each parried with the frog's purple blades._

 _The two kept trading blows like this for a good amount of time until it eventually led to a pushing contest with the attacks clashing together and remaining in one place. The two Pokemon tried to overcome the other with all their strength, looking each other in the eyes with nothing but pure determination._

 _"What an amazing battle we have so far, ladies and gentlemen! Both Pokemon here are very strong and neither are willing to give up! Who will go down first?!"_

 _The announcer's words seem to spark something inside the two Pokemon. They both roared and leapt back, glaring at each other. They were going to finish the battle right here and one of them was going to emerge victorious no matter what._

 _"Dragon Claw!" "Night Slash!"_

 _Charizard and Greninja raced toward each other, brandishing their choice of attack in their hands. The two clashed again, both swiping and dodging each strike with skill. The announcer's voice rang out again, shouting something about an incredibly intense sword fight. The two broke away, and lunged at each other again eager to repeat the same process._

 _"Greninja, get 'im with False Swipe!" the trainer suddenly shouted, much to their opponent's surprise. As the two Pokemon reached each other, Charizard lashed out with Dragon Claw but Greninja instead ducked and delivered a haymaker to the Fire type's chin with a white blade of energy._

 _Charizard lurched back, apparently caught off guard by the sudden surprise attack and the trainer jumped to his chance. "Now give him a good ol' Water Shuriken!" Greninja then gathered up the ninja star in its hand and lunged at the dazed Charizard._

 _"Charizard, block it!" its trainer desperately called out. It was no use however, as Greninja proved to be much faster and smashed the Water Shuriken into Charizard, sending the drake stumbling back. The Fire type let out a cry of pain as the super effective attack sunk in and did its damage._

 _The trainer wasn't done however. "Quick, use Aqua Jet!" In the blink of an eye, Greninja had shot toward Charizard while surrounded by a veil of water and slammed into its side, making it stagger in the opposing direction. The Fire type seemed to be in great pain and fatigue was slowly catching up from the past two exhausting battles it had before this._

 _"Charizard, pull yourself together!" the trainer called out, noticing its slouching position. "Come on, fight back with Dragon Tail!"_

 _"Jump over it and use Night Slash!" came the reply. Charizard's tail had a mystical teal glow to it as it was whipped around in an effort to slam into Greninja, but the Water type had jumped over it and landed on the ground._

 _With a shout, Greninja leaped towards a surprised Charizard and slammed the purple blade onto its face, earning a agonizing "CHAAARR!" in response._

 **~xXx~**

 **-Pallet Town-**  
 **-Kanto Region-**

"YES! GO ASH, YOU CAN DO IT!"

The blue haired girl, who had sprung out of her seat all of a sudden, let out an excited shout surprising everybody else in the room. The TV in front of them displayed the intense battle with Greninja viciously slashing Charizard across the face. It had certainly left quite an impact to everyone watching because that looked like it hurt.

"Pip lup?!" the little blue penguin, who was seated comfortably on the girl's lap, was promptly knocked off by the girl's action. It got back up and angrily looked at its trainer, shouting out a stream of curses.

A girl wearing an orange tank top and a large headband on her brunette hair stood up, placing a hand on the blunette's shoulder. She looked about the same age and wore a solemn expression on her face. "Dawn, what are you doing? That's from 3 years ago, not now."

Dawn immediatly recognized what she was doing and embarassingly looked down. "R-right. Sorry, it's just an old habit." Her face had gone from excited to somber.

The brunette sadly smiled. "It's fine. I know how much you cheered for him. We all miss him." The two girls sat down with miserable looks on their faces.

A tan skinned, squinty eyed man frowned as he noticed their sudden mood. "Dawn, May, are you two okay?"

The brunette, May, smiled at him. "We're fine, Brock. You know, just...thinking about him."

Brock nodded, his face now also wearing the same expression. "Yeah, I am too. It's been so long."

"Ahem!" The three looked towards a girl with orange hair that barely reached to her shoulders. She wore a cream colored cardigan over a white shirt and ripped up blue jeans. "We all miss him and it hurts us equally. But we can't just sit around and mope about it."

"She's right," a boy with blond hair and glasses spoke up, everybody looking at him now. "We did that when we first found out what happened. Now we have to move on and not think about it." However, the boy clearly wore the same exact expression as everybody else.

"Misty and Clemont are right," a tan skinned girl spoke up. Her wild purple hair definitely made her stand out from the group. "Sitting around and thinking about it isn't going to do anything. We need to move on and focus on the future."

"Nice motivational words, Iris," the green haired boy next to May chuckled. "She's right though. With Ash not here with us, it will be hard for us to forget this happened but we need to try."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Brock chuckled. Dawn sadly looked at the TV, which now showed Charizard slamming Greninja down on the ground hard, leaving the frog unmoving. How the battle had turned around so quickly was something no one had an answer to. All they could do was watch as the trainer with the cap ran out on the field and kneeling down next to the frog.

 _"Greninja is unable to battle! The winner of the Lumiose Conference is Alain and his Mega Charizard X!"_ The announcer's voice seemed like a stab in the heart for Dawn. _'That was the last time we heard from him,'_ she thought. She looked at the rolled up letter in her right hand, the sole reason for her to be here right now.

She, along with her friends, had received a invitation from the Pokemon League saying that they were invited to take part in the biggest tournament of history, The Master League. The tournament was said to be used to determine the next Pokemon Master, as only the world's strongest trainers were allowed to compete. Gym Leaders, Elite Four, Frontier Brains, and even Champions competed as well, making the tournament far more difficult. The unique thing about this tournament was that you didn't only have to be a trainer, but rather people of other professions could participate as well such as Coordinators, Performers, Researchers, etc. Hence, that was the reason for why an aspiring Top Coordinator like her was taking part in such a large event.

She and her friends had all found out and had planned to gather somewhere together before the tournament started so that they could train together. Delia Ketchum, the mother of Ash had suggested that they all stay at her house for the well being.

But that wasn't the only reason and everybody knew why. Delia had invited them all because of the loneliness she felt nowadays. After all, it had been a year since the woman had gotten out of her depression.

The core reason for this was none other than their old friend, the son of Delia. Ash Ketchum, a strong trainer and probably the best friend anyone could ever ask for. Nobody knew why or what happened, but it was after the Kalos League, which was coming on TV as a rerun that the group decided to watch. Ash had been a runner up, having made it all the way to the finals where he almost won but ended up losing. He had been so close, _so close_ to achieving his dream only to have it snatched away by his incredibly strong opponent, Alain.

Dawn would never forget the defeated look she saw on the trainer's face as he left the stadium. Even though she had been at her home watching it on live television, she had an urge to go running after her friend and telling him to come back. It was after that everything went downhill. Ash had suddenly vanished without a trace, went completely off the radar. His Kalos companions found all his stuff gone from his hotel room, which was a mess at that time. They had spent so long looking for him, but no one had heard from the Pallet Town native. The only lead Dawn and everybody else had was the fact that a few of his Pokemon had also disappeared as well from Professor Oak's lab. Like trainer, the Pokemon had all vanished as well. When asking the other Pokemon, namely Bulbasaur who was known to be a leader figure amongst everybody, all they got was nothing as they didn't even know what happened.

That was 3 years ago. Since then, some people considered him dead while the rest like Dawn and her friends knew he was still out there. And no matter what happens, they would be waiting to welcome him back.

Dawn looked at her friends and held up the letter. "So, is everybody ready for this? With all the time we've spent training, I think we can handle it."

"You are damn right, Dawn," Misty said holding up a Poke Ball. "I've been waiting for this for a long time now. I haven't had a good battle at my gym for a while now, but I know the trainers over there will definitely give me a run for my money."

A younger boy with glasses chuckled as he stood up. "You can say that, but we all know that I'm gonna beat you! I've built up an arsenal of strategies that no one can break through easily. My Pokemon are gonna floor the competition!"

Misty smirked at the boy. "Oh yeah? And what happened the last time we battled, Mr. Strategy?"

The boy fumed. "That was luck! Luck, I say! Battle me right now and you'll see what I-OW!" The boy rubbed his head and glared at May, who had her hands on her hips. "What the heck, sis?"

"I've told you so many times, Max not to brag like that! It's annoying!" May exclaimed.

"Yeah, don't make promises you can't keep!" Misty added in a teasing tone.

"Oooooh! Now you've done it!" Max shouted. "I'm gonna make you eat those words, Misty! Your Water Pokemon are nothing compared to my diverse team!"

Misty scowled. "Excuse me, but my Water Pokemon can easily crush your team! Just ask Gyarados and Starmie!"

Max snorted, pushing up his glasses. "That was when I underestimated you. Now I know exactly how you battle, so beating you will be a piece of cake!"

"Max, calm down," the green haired boy suddenly said. He flipped his hair and smirked. "You started your journey last year and made it to the Top 8 in the Hoenn League. While that is impressive, you are still no where on Misty's level of expertise."

Max glared at the boy while Misty nodded. "Damn right, Drew. I may only use Water type Pokemon, but that doesn't mean I'm a pushover."

"Yeah, okay we all know how strong you are Misty," Max rolled his eyes. "You clearly proved that when you lost to Gary's Electivire." Misty scowled.

"He had the type advantage!"

"So? Type advantages mean nothing! It's the trainer that has to think, which you clearly don't know what that means!"

"I'd like to see how long you last in a battle against someone like Gary. He'd use his weakest Pokemon and still sweep your entire team!"

"How would you know, huh?!"

"Because your snobbish and 'know it all' attitude would get you nowhere!"

"Oh yeah? Well you're an ugly spoiled princess who only knows how to whine and scream with your big mouth!"

"Why, you little brat!"

Everybody sweatdropped as the two started going back and forth with numerous insults aimed at each other. This was normal by now, but it was still something to think about.

"Why do I even bother?" May groaned, flopping down on the couch in defeat. Drew smirked. "You're gonna have to get used to it now, June. This banter isn't going anywhere for a while!"

A tick mark formed on May's forehead as she gave Drew a solid death glare. "How many times do I have to effing tell you that my name is-"

"I know what you're name is, April," Drew said not appearing to be afraid of the now red faced girl practically fuming from her ears. "You don't have to remind me."

"Why you-" May started, but the sudden excited shout of someone entering the room stopped her.

"Guys, guys! I finally found it!" A blonde haired girl, roughly about Max's age happily exclaimed from the doorway, holding a large box of said desert. Next to her stood an older, long blond haired girl who sheepishly smiled.

"Bonnie!" Clemont yelped. "I told you not to have anymore ice cream! Save some for us at least!" Bonnie gave him a deadpan expression. "By us, you mean yourself don't you big brother? Well, I have news for you. I'm gonna finish this ice cream right here in front of your eyes and you can't do anything to stop me! This is revenge for finishing the rest of my favorite cereal!"

"De denn!" Dedenne, small yellow mouse, poked its head from atop Bonnie's head and happily exclaimed.

Clemont was forced to watch with pain as the younger girl opened up the box and took out a spoon, devouring the deicious ice cream while he internally screamed. The older girl next to Bonnie nervously laughed and sheepishly looked at the blond boy. "Sorry Clemont, but she wouldn't listen to me no matter what."

"Serena, how could you?!" Clemont wailed. Serena apologetically smiled. Dawn sighed as she looked around the room, which was now noisy due to the loud bickering between Misty, Max, May and Drew.

"What a bunch of little kids," she heard Iris mutter and Dawn could only sweatdrop. Brock then turned to the last person in the room who hadn't spoken yet. Although he had changed over the years, seeing him so quiet was pretty unusual. Then again, Brock knew how much the boy had been affected by Ash's disappearance. Despite that however, the brown spiky haired boy had always been the strongest of the group, helping to pull them through the tough times.

"Hey Gary, what's up?" Brock asked. Gary didn't seem to be paying attention to what was happening around him. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the TV, which was showing the winning hit for the match. Charizard could be seen brutally knocking Greninja off him, then grabbing it by the neck and slamming it to the ground with all its strength.

Gary sighed. "Nothing, Brock. It's just that seeing this reminds me how much I've come so far. You know, since I left all that researcher stuff behind and got back to my old roots." Ever since Ash had disappeared, Gary had felt the need to go back to being a trainer and pursue his old dream of becoming a Pokemon Master himself. He had quit being a researcher and was now a full time trainer, having travelled around various parts of the world and recently returning from the Sevii Islands to take part in the Master League.

"I understand," Brock nodded. "It's not easy to change your goals and what you want to do. I learned that when I quit being a Gym Leader and had my brother take over."

Gary chuckled. "You can say that again. Anyway, you're filling in your brother's role for the tournament, right?"

"Yup. Forrest is sick and won't be able to battle, and since no one else in my family has that kind of experience, he asked me to take his spot for me." Come to think of it, it actually felt good to take the role of a Gym Leader again, even if it was only temporary. Brock was looking forward to battling the many strong trainers and use his old skills as a Gym Leader to help him win.

"Don't think that just because you two used to be strong trainers before that this will be easy," Iris remarked. "I'm in this too and my team has grown stronger over the past few years."

"Oh, we know that," Gary said. Iris had been training non stop for this tournament and she was now the second strongest trainer in their group, being only behind the more experience Gary. Behind them in third was Misty, though Max had promised that he would take her place.

"Well, you guys are lucky that you're trainers," Dawn said. "I'm a Coordinator! I don't have the kind of experience to face people like Lance or Cynthia!"

"Even if you're a Coordinator, you'll do fine," Iris said. "There's going to be other Coordinators there as well and knowing you, you'll sweep them off their feet, Dawn!"

"Yeah, don't be nervous," Gary said as he put an arm over her shoulder, causing her to blush. "Remember what I taught you."

"Yeah, I know," Dawn said. She rested her head on Gary's shoulder and smiled at him. "Thanks Gary." Gary nodded at her and smiled back. Iris smiled at the sight while Brock silently weeped about him not finding anyone to love. Gary and Dawn had began dating a few months ago, when they first received their invitations for the tournament. Gary had asked her out one evening while the two were out for a walk and she had agreed. Gary had even offered to train her personally and help her Pokemon grow stronger. Their relationship could be described as nothing but great.

"Ah, you two are inseperable, I can't tell!" Brock said. He looked over at the others and sighed. "If only the same could be said about the two loud females over there."

Immediatly, the bickering stopped and all eyes were on Brock. Said man looked confused but then noticed his impending doom for the first time.

"What did you say?" May seethed, her face more red than the top half of a Poke Ball.

"Yeah, what did you say Brock?" Misty hissed in a dangerously low voice, her face nothing more than pure irritation. The two females towered over him, giving him a look that would give even Darkrai the worst nightmare.

Brock had never been so terrified in his life.

"U-um, I-I just...uh...y-you know," Brock nervously gulped. Honestly, he'd rather have Croagunk give him a billion Poison Jabs than go through this right now. It was like looking at the face of death itself, but maybe a little worse.

Max snickered. "Looks like Brock is done for." May whipped her head around and gave him a death glare, causing him to yelp. "Max. Don't. You. Dare."

Max gulped and shrunk back, internally screaming his head off. _'Oh no, I just had to go and say it, didn't I? I'm so done for! Oh Great Jirachi, how I beg of your forgiveness for this one and help me get out of here PLEEEASE!'_

Luckily for Brock and Max, their saviour arrived just in time. Delia hummed as she walked into the room, holding a large suitcase and followed by Mr. Mime, aka Mimey.

"Is everyone ready to go?!" she asked in her usual cheery voice. She noticed the steam practically coming out from Misty and May and the white faces of Brock and Max. "Am I interupting anything?"

Misty sighed and put on a smile. "No Delia, it's fine. We were just getting ready to leave, right?" She emphasized that last part, sneaking a glare at the two cowering males. Brock and Max quickly nodded.

"Yup, everything's fine!" Max squeaked. Brock didn't even say anything. Delia shrugged. "Well, get your stuff everyone. Samuel and Tracey are waiting for us at the lab!"

"Right!" Everyone got up and went to go get their stuff while Delia left. Dawn smiled apologetically at Piplup, whom she had knocked down again with her pink suitcase. Needless to say, the Water type was practically reading out a paragraph of curses at his trainer. Gary had a blue backpack on and carried a suitcase with him as well. He slung a pair of blue headphones around his neck and headed out the door, followed by Iris, Dawn, Drew, and Serena. Misty and May left with Clemont and Bonnie right after, leaving the two remaining in the room.

Max let out a sigh of relief. "I have never been so traumatized in my life."

Brock nodded. "You are right about that."

 **~xXx~**

 **-Pokemon League Building-**  
 **-Kalos Region-**

Scott sighed as he made his way through the large, fancy halls of the Kalos Pokemon League Buiding. These past few weeks had been exhausting for Scott. The man had to travel to all the regions and prepare for the upcoming tournament, all in a short amount of time. Now, it was only a matter of a week, and then it would begin.

"When this is all over, I'm gonna head back to my villa and live off the next few months on my couch," the man muttered as he rubbed his eyes, which were hidden by the sunglasses he wore. Right now, he was supposed to attend a meeting with all the regional champions and the president of the League, Mr. Goodshow, to discuss the current situation of the Master League. The meeting was held in the Kalos League Building, due to the tournament's location in another part of Kalos, Dahara City. He didn't know why, but Dahara City seemed like the perfect place to build the Champion's Plateau since it was a great tourist attraction. Of course, it didn't seem like it was that long but then again, 10 years was something.

Scott opened up the large double doors, and made his way inside an incredibly spacious meeting room. The room itself consisted of a large, fancy oval shaped table in the middle of the room, which was occupied by everyone else. On the other side of the table, a large holographic screen sat displaying a large building in the middle of a huge city. The building's roof had see through glass, so a large stadium with many neon lights could be seen inside the building's top floor. Back to the room, there was a another fancy table, though smaller, on the side of room which held many foods and beverages. And on the right side was a wall full of windows that held a great view of the region itself. Not to mention, the room's walls were filled with various old paintings.

Scott made his way to the remaining seat on the table, which was occupied by other people. He sat besides an old man on the front of the table and the rest of the seats were on the side, taken by none other than the regional champions. Lance, the spiky red haired, cape wearing Dragon Master who was the champion of both the regions of Kanto and Johto, and also former Pokemon Master. Cynthia, the beautiful blond haired woman, wearing a black coat, champion of the Sinnoh region and also the current Pokemon Master. Steven, the young blue haired man, wearing a formal suit, former champion of the Hoenn region. Wallace, the green haired man, wearing a rather flashy outfit and former Contest Master and current Hoenn Champion. Alder, the flamed haired old man, wearing an old aged outfit and former champion of the Unova region. Hilda, the young brunette girl, wearing a normal teenager outfit and current Unova champion. Finally, Diantha, the marvelous actress, wearing a fancy and luxurious outfit, champion of Kalos. All of them were known to be the strongest trainers in the world and were highly respected. Each of them maintained and helped control their regions and help it grow powerful.

"So," Scott looked at the old man besides him. "Let's get this meeting started, shall we Mr. Goodshow?" Charles Goodshow was the president of the Pokemon League and like the champions, was highly respected. Though due to old age, he would be retiring from his position soon. He nodded. "Indeed. Let's start by discussing last year's tournament. Cynthia, you are now the current Pokemon Master after you beat Lance last year in the finals."

"That is correct," the Sinnoh champion replied. "Though it was a very close match between my Garchomp and Lance's Dragonite." The spiky red haired champion silently nodded. Lance had been the former master and held that position for a good four years before he barely lost to Cynthia last year. Despite the fact that his streak had ended, Lance was proud and had high respect for the Sinnoh champion.

Scott cleared his throat. "Alright, so let's see what we got so far. Since this is supposed to be for the strongest trainers in the world only, we have sent out invitations to those who have made great achievements so far and have been heard of around the world. This includes league winners, runner up, Coordinators, you know what I mean. Anyway, the total number of people participating, including the league members, are 256. So, what's the plan?"

"256 isn't exactly the biggest number of people, but only the strongest are to take part in this so it makes sense," Steven said. "We have the preliminary rounds first, right? And even us champions take part in them?"

"Correct," Scott said. "The reason why is to see if these people we've invited are prepared for battles like this. That's why we've shut down all gyms and other events temporarily until this event is over."

"What about the trainer placements?" Diantha asked. "Surely we have to be fair on this, as pitting us champions against a mere trainer in the preliminaries itself wouldn't be fair to the trainer, who had little time to prepare."

"Correct. That's why you champions will be facing off against the toughest opponents in the beginning," Scott said. "For example, we've got league winners like Tobias, who uses legendary Pokemon competing. He once almost beat the Sinnoh Elite Four, but it was Cynthia who ended his streak. So you will all be facing people like Tobias or you might even face each other in the preliminaries itself."

The champions looked at each other at the sound of that. Despite the friendly atmosphere, one could see the determination that sparked in everyone's eyes, even the lazy Alder.

"Huh, that sounds pretty fair to me," Hilda said. She looked at her fellow champions. "What about you guys?"

"I think it's good," Cynthia said.

"Fine by me. I just want to go out there and battle," Alder gruffly said.

"Of course. Everyone should be given a fair chance," Wallace nodded.

Steven looked at the screen. "And what a beautiful place to hold this tournament. That tower, it's the tallest in the world, right?"

"That's right, Steven. Heaven's Summit is the talles tower built in the world and has a huge stadium inside the top floor," Diantha explained. She smirked. "Not something you'd find in Hoenn, no?"

Steven smirked back. Hilda looked between the two and held back a snicker. _'Those two...they go so well yet they don't realize how they feel about each other.'_

"The financial situation shouldn't be a problem as well, considering how much money we have," Alder said. Scott nodded. "Correct. However, the problem isn't the money rather it's you guys."

Seeing the confused looks on their faces, Goodshow decided to take over. "We know how dedicated you each are to your position as champion and how proudly you hold it. I can see you all have great qualities and sportmanship and like to play fair. However I should tell you that in this tournament, do no, and I repeat, DO NOT, hold back your strength on anyone at all. You need to give it your all and show everyone why you're champions!"

Everyone seemed surprised for a second before Lance finally spoke up. "We understand what you mean. This tournament is only for the strongest and I promise to not hold back at all."

"I agree. My beautiful Pokemon will bring havoc upon the challengers!" Wallace exclaimed.

"As Pokemon Master, I will show my full strength and not let my opponent think for even a second that they have the battle in their hands," Cynthia said. She got agreements from the rest of the champions, making Goodshow nod his head in a pleased way.

Scott turned around and gazed at the screen, which was now showing the interior of the building: the stadium.

"This is going to be one hell of a tournament."

 **~xXx~**

 **-Veilstone City-**  
 **-Sinnoh Region-**

Paul stood in place, watching the two Pokemon in front of his battle out with their full strength. His arms were crossed and his usual stoic expression never ceased to intimidate anyone. His eyebrows furrowed as the two Pokemon, who were locked in a pushing contest, broke away and stood in one place panting heavily.

"Come on, you could do better than that! The tournament is within a week and you two need to work on your power!" Electivire and Magmortar, who had been sparring for the past two hours, nodded in understanding and lunged at each other again. Both Pokemon had numerous cuts and scratches, their bodies dirtied and beat up.

Despite this, neither showed any signs of giving up. Electivire growled, his fists both crackling with electricity. Magmortar micmiked his expression, his dual arm cannons igniting in red hot flames. The two jumped at each other, rearing their arms back and punching forward, both Thunder Punch and Fire Punch colliding with each other. The two pushed with all their strength and appeared evenly matched. Paul nodded in approval. Other than his faithful Torterra, Magmortar was the only one out of all his Pokemon who could even up with Electivire in terms of raw strength. Not even Ursaring, who was known to be a tank in the team.

Ever since he'd received the invitation to the Master League, Paul had been training nonstop knowing he would have to pull all punches if he ever wanted to win. Only the strongest trainers would be allowed to compete and Paul knew none of them would be easy to beat. After his journey in Sinnoh, Paul had softened up and changed his ways on training his Pokemon. He no longer pushed them past their limits and formed a deep bond with them, though he never showed it. Despite changing his ways, Paul's training regiment was still rough.

"ELLLEEECTA!" Electivire managed to overpower Magmortar and crash his electrified fist into the Blast Pokemon's face, sending him stumbling back in pain. The Fire type trembled as the electricity did its work. Electivire held out a palm and a ball of electricity began to form. Magmortar scowled and tried to move out of the way, but fatigue caught up and he collapsed onto his knees in exhaustion. Electivire was about to finish him off before Paul's voice broke out.

"Enough!" The Electro Ball dissipated and Magmortar was helped to his feet by the Pokemon he just fought. The two exchanged a brief nod as Paul made his way over to them.

"Good work. Your defense and speed has greatly improved, Magmortar. Your attack was already strong enough but that's increased as well," Paul commended. "You are definitely strong enough to be on my main team." Magmortar saluted him and felt excitement in his body. Paul had been training very hard in order to select the main team he would use in the tournament and Magmortar was the third to earn his position, the other two being Electivire and Torterra.

"Paul!" Said teenager turned around to see his older brother Reggie waving at him. "Let's go! Our flight is in two hours and we have to be at the airport in one! Hurry it up!"

Paul nodded and returned the two Pokemon inside their Poke Balls, clipping them onto the belt where four other Poke Balls remained. He followed his brother inside the house and grabbed his bag. Paul's eyebrows narrowed, thinking about the tournament. Of course, achieving his dream wasn't the only reason he was participating. No, the main reason was that _he_ would be there. After all, it had been 3 years since he was missing and there was no way he would turn down something as big as this.

"You better be here, Ash," Paul growled. He wasn't one to be concerned so easily, but 3 years was a long time. "I've been waiting a long time for a rematch."

 **~Team Rocket Base~**  
 **~Unknown Location~**

"Ooh, what could da boss want now?"

"Maybe he might be giving us the promotion we've desired for a long time! We have showed progress in our work so far!"

"Don't be stupid, you two. The boss is probably going to yell at us for that little incident you two caused."

"Aw, but it wasn't even our fault!"

"Oh reaallly now? If I remember correctly, it was YOU two who were in charge of the machine while I did the talking! It was your fault that the damn thing broke and we lost all those Pokemon we were going to capture! Not to mention that we have the police hounding after us because of that!"

"Oh come on Jess! How was we suppose' ta know how dat thing turned on in da first place? 'Sides, it was James who bumped in ta me!"

"Don't go putting the blame on me, Meowth! You were the one who got all angry and tried to attack me in the first place! You're equally at fault too!"

"You stepped on my tail! Do ya know how sensitive a cat's tail is?! And you were da one who 'accidentally' flicked da switch!"

"Well you shoul've warned me!"

"Warned ya?! How was I supposed ta warn ya?!"

"BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP OR I'LL TEAR YOU TWO APART LIMB FROM LIMG AND FEED YOU TO A PACK HOUNDOOM!"

James and Meowth jumped from their partner's loud voice, not expecting it to come out of nowhere.

"Was it neccesary to be graphic, Jessie?" James sighed. He hadn't even noticed the apparent danger he had walked into. Meowth had noticed and elbowed James sharply before moving away, not wanting to feel the oncoming wrath.

Jessie slowly turned around, a huge tick mark already on her forehead as she hissed at the now cowering James. "Are you seriously testing me right now, you pompious little gnat?!"

"N-n-no m-m-ma'am...," James muttered in fear. His life was flashing before his eyes right now.

Not wanting to see his partner die today, Meowth stepped up and quickly disfused the bomb. "Uh guys, let's not keep the boss waiting! If he's already mad at us, let's not make it worse!"

Jessie abruptly turned around and walked off, letting James deflate like a balloon as he let out all the breath he held in. Meowth tapped him on the shoulder. "Next time, remember not ta say anything when she's mad." James gave him a look that read "You think?!" and followed after Jessie.

The three entered a dimly lit room where a bunch of other people were standing around, in front of a large desk. They walked over and stood beside two people who looked about their age. A blond woman and a green haired man.

"Late as always, filth," the woman smirked. Jessie scowled. "Not now Cassidy. Unless you're asking for a death wish." She made a silent motion towards the man sitting behind the desk, shutting the blond up. The green haired man, Butch, smirked and shook his head.

Other than the five of them, there was also another blond haired woman, Domino, a teal haired man in the black Rocket outfit, Proton, a violet haired man in similar clothing, Petrel, a red haired woman in a white suit, Ariana, and another teal haired man in a white suit that seemed to be the leader, Archer. Then there was their boss of course, known as Giovanni.

"Well, now that everyone's here let's get right down to business," Giovanni spoke in a cold voice. He was dressed in a formal suit under a large trench coat and wore a hat that covered his eyes. A Persian was curled up on the floor, looking at everyone. Giovanni held up a letter that had the symbol of the Pokemon League on it. "As you know, the League doesn't know me as the leader of Team Rocket and merely as the Viridian Gym Leader. Therefore, I have received an invitation to take part in their little tournament."

"The Master League?" Archer asked. "Yes. Now, I am going to participate and fill my role as the Gym Leader, but I have a job for you guys," Giovanni replied.

"Well, what is it?" Ariana asked. "Whatever it is, we'll be sure to do it."

"I'm sure you will. You guys are aware that the winner of the tournament is awared the title of Pokemon Master and an incredible amount of prize money that basically makes them the richest person in the world."

Everyone's eyes grew wide at that. "What's the amount?" Proton asked with more interest.

Giovanni smirked. "100 Billion Pokedollars." Many gasps were heard around the room. "However, as strong of a Gym Leader I may, even I have my weaknesses and the fact that there are champions that are competing too, there is almost no way I would win. Which is why we do something about it."

"You mean steal it," Petrel said. "It should be a piece of cake. We've never failed to rob anything."

"But this is literally hosted by the ENTIRE Pokemon League," Domino said. "The security will be absolute hell to get through! And if we're caught, it's all over!"

"I agree with Ms. Domino, Boss," Archer said sullenly. "Think about it. It's the biggest event in the world and with that kind of money, there's no doubt that there will be far more advanced security then we ever imagined. It is next to impossible!"

Giovanni smirked. "My friend, NOTHING is impossible. And besides, the money is not the only thing I'm going for. There will be many strong Pokemon there since this is only for the strongest trainers. If we get our hands on the Pokemon AND the money, then Team Rocket will be unstoppable!"

Archer and Domino looked like they were about to protest, but Giovanni held up a hand. "And don't worry, I've already got a plan. A flawless one too." The executive and agent looked at each other in confusion like everyone else as Giovanni faced the large holographic computer behind him and typed in a few words. Everybody's eyes widened as they saw the massive holographic building where the tournament would take place. There were many marks and words written around the building.

Giovanni faced everyone. "This is the Heaven's Summit, the tallest tower in the world. As you can see, I've selected the main points of where we need to go and what to do."

"This...this is incredible," Archer gasped. "But what do we do? How can we help?"

Giovanni wore an evil smile on his face. "Just follow the plan."

 **~xXx~**

 **No Ash this chapter? Don't worry, he'll show up soon. I have to build up his epic appearance. Anway, how'd you like the multiple point of views from the different characters? This will happen frequently throughout the story, when more characters are introduced. Team Rocket will also have their own little arc, as it is essential for the story.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Remember if you want your OC to be featured in the story, read the information above and submit it with a review to the story (I'm not going to accept your OC if you don't list the information I've given and don't leave a review along with it).**


	2. Enter: Champion's Plateau!

**The Challenger Returns**

 **Here's the second chapter of the story! Hope you guys are so far enjoying! Remember if you want your very own OC to feature in the torunament, then leave the following information in your reviews:**

 **OC Name**

 **Party Pokemon (The first three should be the ones you want your OC to have no matter what.**

 **Personality: A brief description of how your OC acts, whether they can be friendly or just plain assholes.**

 **Appearance: Just list the age, clothes, hair style, skin color and eye color.**

 **That's all for now!**

 **~xXx~**

Full Summary: A loss can sometimes change a person. After Ash Ketchum mysteriously disappeared without a trace, his friends and family were left absolutely devastated. 3 years later, a tournament is being held in the exotic Dahara City, located in the faraway lands of the Kalos Region. Serving as the world's biggest event ever, trainers of all kind will be pit against each other in a battle for the best. Only the strongest of the strong can survive and go through the grueling journey. At first, entering the tournament seemed fun and worth a try, but when the missing trainer from Pallet Town returns to claim his place as the Pokemon Master, everyone has their mind set on finding their long lost friend. However, the Ash they once knew has completely changed and no one knows why. Along with old feelings resurfaced, ambitious rivals, and a dark plot endangering the lives of many, Ash and his friends are in for the toughest battles of their lives...

Normal Talk

 _Thoughts/Letters/Announcements/Flashbacks_

 **Pokemon talking**

 _ **Talking through aura/psychic ability**_

 **~xXx~**

~[Chapter 2: Champion's Plateau}~

 **-Dahara City-**  
 **-Kalos Region-**

Serena gasped as she stepped out the door and looked at the environment around her for the first time. It had been a while since she had been to Dahara City, but this was her first time at Champion's Plateau. And it certainly lived up to its name.

"WOWWW! Look at all this!" Dawn exclaimed, twirling around in amazement with Piplup chirping out in agree. The Sinnoh coordinator was gushing over the beautiful envvironment. "This place looks so pretty!"

Serena agreed with her, although she was more focused on the desgins of the buildings around. They looked so different from the prestigious Kalos style, yet this place was in the richest city of the world. It was amazing how they were really inside a city in the middle of the desert, yet it didn't feel as hot as it should have been.

A chorus of gasps sounded behind her, the others apparently taking in the sight for the first time. Even the calm Drew had his jaw dropped as he looked around. "What an exotic place. So this is the Champion's Plateau, huh?"

"That's right," Brock said. If his eyes weren't squinted, one could tell that even he was in pure bliss. "This is the home city of the Master League which is held in that big tower over there." He pointed to a tall, easily visible tower in the distance that seemed to reach up to the skies.

"The Heaven's Summit..." May slowly said with wide eyes as she took in the sight. The others mimicked her expression.

"Where a Pokemon Master is born," Gary spoke up. He gazed at the tall tower and knew that the tournament would be taking place in there. He didn't know why, but looking at the tower just sparked up determination inside his body. It was as if the tower knew that he'd come here to become the Pokemon Master no matter what.

Misty whistled at the sight. "Now THAT, is what I would call sensational!"

"Unlike you," Max coughed. Unfortunately, the Cerulean Gym Leader had heard him and was scowling. "What did you say, you brat?"

Max glared back. "You heard me! Un-sensational sister!"

"Wow, so mature," Misty rolled her eyes. The Hoenn boy had it going but then ruined the whole build up with that shitty remark. She smirked, seeing him stomp his feet angrily and turn away, muttering curses aimed at the red head.

Clemont glanced around, as if he was looking for someone. "You think he'll be here? Ash is always up for a challenge, especially when it comes to battling."

"Of course he'll be here, brother!" Bonnie piped up, her large smile never ceasing to amaze anyone. "It's a tournament, which is Ash's favorite!"

Serena smiled at her while Brock nodded. "You're right on that one, Bonnie. From all the years I've known and travelled with Ash, there is no way he would turn something like this down!"

"Definitely!" Iris exclaimed. "Just watch, I know that kid will be here!"

"Hey guys, the tournament doesn't start until two days! We can do alot of sight seeing here!" Tracey exclaimed. The headband boy had met up with the group in Pallet Town, having left with them to the airport together. Like the others, even he was participating.

Dawn nodded. "We should. There's so much to do here! I heard there are even street battles around the city and some training grounds too!"

"That sounds fun to me," Gary said as he approached Dawn and wrapped his arm around her waist. "But there are also alot of fancy restaurants here. It's been a while since we've gone on a date, right babe?"

Dawn blushed and playfully punched her boyfriend. "We've just got here and already you're making plans for another date." Gary shrugged, his smirk never leaving his face. "What can I do? You're so beautiful and mesmerizing that it's hard too!"

The others rolled their eyes and smiled at the two flirting. Max nudged May and whispered, "I could see you and Drew doing that." Needless to say, his sister was redder than a Cherish Ball as she grabbed him by the collar, earning a surprised yelp.

"Shut the hell up before I personally have my Blaziken burn you to a crisp," May dangerously hissed, earning rapid nods from Max. Drew raised an eyebrow as May let her horrified brother go, who immediatly began to take deep breaths. "Hey June, what's wrong with your face? You look like pissed off Primeape."

Max immediatly burst into a fit of laughter as May took a threatening step towards the green haired boy. "Listen grass head, if you call me 'June' one more time, I swear to Arceus I'll-"

"Whoa, triggered much?" Drew raised his arms up in defense and smirked. "Fine, I'll stop calling you June, July." Serena gulped as May looked ready to explode, so the Kalos native decided to cool the situation. "Hey, look at all the shopping sights!"

Immediatly, May's expression brightened as she took in the information. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that! Come on, let's go!" She looked ready to run off, but just then Professor Oak walked up to them, followed by a chuckling Delia and Mimey.

"Now now, don't rush into things. We still have to book our hotel rooms," the Kanto professor stated. "After that, you may go do whatever you want to." Everyone else agreed and the group then made their way to the hotel, which was hard to find in the large, bustling city. The hotel was incredibly fancy, as it was humongous and had a large golden statue of a Staraptor on top. After a while, they finally booked the rooms, boys and girls seperate. Delia decided to go run off with Norman and Caroline Maple, whom she had ran into while Professor Oak had told the group that they could go do what they wanted as he met with the other regional professors.

Soon, the group of teenagers found themselves walking down the busy streets of Champion's Plateau. Dawn, May, and Serena were talking together and listing down the names of all the shopping stores. They planned to go on a major shopping spree during their stay here. Gary and Iris planned a battle later on while the others just normally chatted with each other, save for Misty and Max's bickering.

"Hey guys, there's a street battle going on a couple of blocks from here! Wanna check it out?" Gary suggested.

"I'm down," Iris said. "I could use a good battle right now."

"Same here," Drew said, flipping his hair much to May's annoyance. The Hoenn girl had been silently plotting the green haired coordinator's murder all this time. The others agreed to Gary's suggestion and followed him as he lead the way.

Champion's Plateau was absolutely amazing. As they walked down the street, the group took in their surroundings and could not help but be amazed. People with all kinds of Pokemon walked around, going in and out of the many colorful buildings. Large TV screens on some buildings were either advertising commercials or showing a view of the Heaven's Summit. There were cars and vehicles driving around and many cameras flashing from tourists. Hell, Max had even brought a camera with him and the group took their time taking pictures together.

Soon, they found themselves in a large circle with a huge fountain in the middle. The fountain was shaped in a fancy way too, with two large statues of seal like Pokemon standing in a graceful pose.

"Those are Primarina, the fully evolved Water type starters from Alola," Gary explained. He was very knowledgable about Pokemon due to his former profession as a researcher. Of course, he'd given up on that now and was now a full time trainer aiming to be Pokemon Master.

"Wow, they're so...majestic," Misty was at awe. Despite being a stone statue, the Primarina looked so beautiful and appealing. The fact that is was also a Water type added to Misty's list of must have Pokemon, probably even beating the mighty Milotic.

She wasn't the only one who was mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the Water type. Dawn, May, Serena, Bonnie, and even Drew looked at the Pokemon as if it were a legendary god or something. "Now that is a Pokemon I could use in a contest," the green haired boy said.

"Same here," Dawn and May agreed.

"I wonder how a Primarina could do in a showcase," Serena wondered out loud. Probably amazing."

"Wowww, it looks so pretty!" Bonnie gushed.

Gary chuckled at their antics. What he was about to reveal next would shock them. "That's not all. It's TYPING is something. Primarina are not only Water types, but they have a secondary Fairy type as well."

He was right, as everyone looked at him with wide eyes. "Fairy types? Really?!" Serena asked. Fairy types were her absolute favorite out of all Pokemon types. She was so happy when her Eevee had evolved into Sylveon for the first time.

"A Fairy type! Even better!" Dawn exclaimed, May, Bonnie and Drew reacting the same way. She grabbed Gary by the shirt. "You have to catch me one, or take me to Alola personally!" Gary laughed and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Ugh, screw that!" Iris exclaimed with a disgusted face. While she agreed that the Primarina was definitely a beauty, she wanted nothing to do with a Fairy type, as it was a potential harm to her Dragon types, which was something she _loathed._

"Hey if your all done drooling then can we go see the battle?!" Max impatiently asked. He was getting sick of waiting and just wanted to go see a tough battle already. Before anybody could yell at him, Brock spoke up.

"He's right guys. Let's go, we can come back and take pictures later otherwise we're going to miss this battle!" The squinty eyed man would love to stay around the statue longer, but even he was interested in seeing the street battles around here.

"Alright fine! We could see these battles later though," May muttered. She noticed Drew about to say a witty remark and she immediatly gave him a look that told him to shut up.

Gary pointed to a large crowd in the distance. "It's over there! Come on, let's hurry up before we miss it!" Unfortunately, he was facing the others and talking to them while walking so the Pallet Town native accidentally bumped into someone and knocked back. "Sorry, my bad!"

"Well, I didn't know Gary Oak was one to rush into things," a very familiar voice suddenly said. Gary looked at the brunette girl he had bumped into with wide eyes. "Leaf?! What are you doing here?!"

Leaf gave him a deadpan expression. "You know, a person usually says hello first, then asks the questions."

Gary was about to apologize when suddenly Bonnie suddenly zoomed past him and knelt down in front of the surprised brunette. "Oooh, you're perfect for my brother! Please look out for him!"

"B-Bonnie! I told you to stop that!" Clemont yelped, dragging his pleading sister away while sheepishly smiling at Leaf. "Uh, sorry about that."

"It's fine," Leaf smiled. "She's a sweet one!" Bonnie smiled at that and stuck her tongue out at Clemont. Leaf then turned to Gary, who was waiting for an answer to her question. She sighed, knowing he wasn't one to apologize.

"I came her to participate in the tournament. I received an invitation from the Pokemon League."

Gary raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't seen Leaf ever since she left for her Kanto journey, which was a little before his. Even then, he still didn't know what she did. "Really? What did you even do that made the league think you were good enough to take part?"

Leaf shrugged. "Nothing much except I made it to the top sixteen in the Kanto league, top four in the Johto league, and runner up in the Unova league. What about you? Still a researcher?"

"No! I'm a full time trainer now!" Gary exclaimed. "Ahem!" He turned around to see his friends looking at him expectantly. "What?"

"Aren't you going to introduce us?!" Dawn angrily exclaimed. Though she loved him, ber boyfriend could be so clueless sometimes.

"Oh right! Leaf, these are my friends. Guys, this is Leaf. Childhood friend of Ash and mine's. Leaf, that's Dawn, my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Leaf raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Finally ditched that harem of cheerleaders, huh? Hey Dawn, does he know how a relationship works?" Dawn nodded, a small smile on her face.

"Why are you asking her that?" Gary deadpanned, earning a smirk from Leaf. "Because I know how you work, that's why."

Serena walked up to Leaf. "I think I know you from somewhere."

"Pallet Town Summer Camp," Gary said simply, knowing what the Kalos native meant. Leaf's eyes widened. "Serena?! Holy crap, it's been so long!"

"Same here!" the blond haired girl replied. Serena remembered Leaf from the camp she went to when she was really young. Leaf had been one of the few friends she had, the others being Gary (kind of) and Ash.

Max walked up to her. "Wow, you must be a really strong trainer if you've made it that far. I have to battle you!"

Misty snorted. "So that you can embarass yourself again?" Immediatly, Max had turned around and the two began shouting insults at each other, letting Leaf sweatdrop.

"Yes, they're always like this," Brock said, seeing the look on her face. May sighed and looked at them. "Let's just go. We're going to miss the fight."

"Oh, I'm going there too!" Leaf exclaimed. "We can go see that battle together, if you guys don't mind." They didn't mind at all and let Leaf tag along. Iris was impressed with Leaf's accomplishments and the two had formed a friendly rivalry together. All the while Leaf would tease Gary and Dawn would join in as well, the two girls almost like best friends much to Gary's disappointment.

They reached the crowd and pushed past the people in order to get a good view. Max was practically running into everyone like a mad Tauros, as he was eager to see. May shouted at her brother to stop while Misty chastised his stupidness. As the group finally got a view as to who was battling, Dawn and Brock's eyes widened in surprise.

"Is that Paul?!" Dawn exclaimed. Indeed it was the purple haired trainer from Sinnoh. He stood behind his Torterra, who was facing the opponent's Bastiodon in a pushing contest with their heads bashing against each other. The Bastiodon looked beat up and ready to fall while Torterra looked relatively fine, showing who was clearly winning here.

"You know him?" Leaf asked. She was impressed with the purple haired trainer's calm demeanor and power his Torterra possesed.

Dawn nodded and looked at her. "He was Ash's rival in Sinnoh. A jerk too, though I think he changed after losing to Ash in the league."

Leaf nodded. She had come to know that the group was Ash's friends and wasn't surprised when she find out that they knew nothing about his disappearance. Even though she hadn't seen him in a long time, Ash was still her childhood best friend who was hard to forget about.

"I heard of that guy," Gary said, nodding towards Paul. "He's a pretty strong trainer and if he's here, then there's no doubt that he is competing in the tournament."

That would be a problem. Paul was a really strong trainer who could easily crush most of them in battle, save for Gary and Iris. Dawn didn't know how good Leaf was, but from her accomplishments it sounded like she could also give Paul a run for his money. She just hoped the once rough Sinnoh trainer had changed his ways.

"Hey look, there's Reggie!" Brock exclaimed, and Max immediatly shoved past him, shouting something about wanting to battle Paul. The group caught up with Max, and made their way to the two Sinnoh natives.

"Reggie! Paul!" Brock greeted as they approached the two, who looked at them in surprise.

"Brock! Dawn! It's nice to see you!" Reggie exclaimed. "I didn't know you two would be here, though I'm not surprised. Paul, remember them?"

Paul nodded and greeted them with a simple, "Hey."

"So these are your friends?" Reggie asked. He was a talker unlike his silent brother. Brock nodded and introduced everyone. Max walked up to Paul and immediatly challenged him to a battle, much to the Sinnoh native's surprise.

"Sorry, not right now," Paul responded, much to Max's disdain. "Maybe later on in the tournament." Though Max was disappointed, he brightened up after hearing that.

Dawn looked at the Sinnoh trainer. "So Paul, I'm guessing you're competing too, right?"

Paul nodded. "Yeah. I've been training my Pokemon non stop ever since I received the invitation and it's safe to say my Pokemon are on point. I even listened to Ketchum's words and formed a bond with them, which has made them stronger. Speaking of which, is he here?"

Dawn sighed. She knew he'd ask that question. After the Sinnoh league, there was no doubt that Paul was looking for a rematch with Ash.

"We don't know. We haven't seen him yet," Brock answered.

"Don't worry, he'll show up," Reggie smiled. "I know he won't skip out on this tournament. And wow, I just realized how many familiar faces we've seen today!"

Paul nodded, much to the group's confusion. "Familiar faces?" May asked.

Paul looked at Dawn and Brock. "Barry, Conway, and Tobias are here. I saw them walking around. Barry's here with his dad, who is a frontier brain and Tobias, you know why. As for Conway, I have no idea."

"We even saw some other strong trainers as well, like that Alain guy and this kid from Johto with a powerful Typhlosion that Paul barely managed to defeat," Reggie answered. Paul grit his teeth in annoyance at his brother's words of barely beating that kid. Of course Reggie had to tease him right here.

"Damn, so this isn't going to be an easy tournament," Drew said with a flip of his hair.

"Even with all that training, our chances look pretty slim," Misty said. She already knew how strong Alain was and if a random trainer from Johto could amost defeat someone like Paul, then it wasn't looking so good.

"Nonsense! We can still do it!" Clemont exclaimed.

"Yeah, with all that trainer we did, there's no way we can be defeated so easily!" Bonnie piped up. Max agreed with her and shot a look at Misty, who stuck her tongue out.

Gary stepped up and looked at Paul. "Hey, let's have a quick one on one battle. I want to see how strong you really are."

Paul was about to decline, but then remembered that this was Gary Oak who was challenging him to a battle. He knew Gary was a really strong trainer and grandson of one of the most famous prodigies in the world, so it should be interesting. "Fine by me."

Max's jaw dropped. "Huh? Wait, you accept a battle from him and not me? Why is that?!"

"Max, this is just a one on one, not a full battle. Besides, Gary and Paul are the strongest out of all of us right now so just sit back and watch," May said. Max agreed and watched as the two trainers stand a good distance from each other with a Poke Ball in their hands.

"Electivire, stand by for battle!" Paul released the bipedal Electric type from its Poke Ball and waited. Dawn and Brock were immediatly hit with nostalgia, seeing Paul's main Pokemon out on the field after a long time.

"Be careful babe! Electivire is one of his best Pokemon!" Dawn shouted at Gary, who merely saluted her. Paul raised an eyebrow at the word 'babe', but shrugged. He didn't really care about relationships.

"Electivire huh? Well, let's see how this works out. Electivire, you're up!" Gary threw out his Poke Ball and revealed the same Electric type who narrowed its eyes down at Paul's Pokemon, who smashed its fists together and growled challengingly.

"Huh," Paul was surprised at Gary's choice. He was expecting a type disadvantage but this would do. The others were surprised as well. "Electivire vs Electivire? This already is interesting!" Iris exclaimed.

"Paul's Electivire is overpowered as hell though," Dawn said. "Ash barely beat this thing and even then, he had Infernape and Pikachu."

"Let's see how Gary's been training," Leaf said. She could tell that Gary was getting a little cocky. Dawn kept giving him a look that told him he was making a mistake. The bluenette knew that while Electivire was strong, it was nowhere near the level of Paul's Electivire.

Brock made his way to the middle and raised his arms. "This is a one on one battle. First Pokemon to fall will lose and remember, a tie is a tie! Go!"

Paul was the first to give an order. "Electivire, Fire Punch!" Paul's Electivire held up its right fist, igniting it in flames, and rushing towards Gary's Electivire with a battle cry.

Gary narrowed his eyes as he gave out an order. "Dodge and counter with Brick Break!" There was no point in using Electivire's Electric attacks, as he knew that Paul's Electivire had the Motor Drive ability so it was all physical attacks from here. But Gary didn't care. He just wanted a challenging battle and that's why he sent out his own Electivire.

The Electric type sidestepped Paul's Electivire, and swung at it with a white coated fist.

"Brick Break!" Paul shouted. His Electivire wheeled around and met Gary's Electivire with the same attack, the two Pokemon's fists colliding and pushing against each other. This was a part of Paul's training as his Electivire was able to overpower Gary's and hit it with Brick Break in the face.

Gary's Electivire stumbled back and its trainer immediatly shouted out the next order. "Dynamic Punch! Hit 'em hard!"

Paul merely watched as Gary's Electivire raced towards his Thunderbolt Pokemon with a red glowing fist that looked ready to smash anyone to a pulp, and then gave out his order. "Now!"

Paul's Electivire reared its arm back, and thrust its fist into the other Electivire's chin, the harsh uppercut sending Gary's Electivire in the air momentarily. "Now hit it down with Hammer Arm!"

"Electivire, no!" Gary shouted as he saw Paul's Electivire jump up and slam his arm onto his Electivire, sending it smashing into the ground. It struggled to get up as it propped itself onto its knees and breathed heavily. "Are you okay?"

"ELECA!" Electivire shouted as he stood up. Gary nodded and looked at Paul's Electivire, who didn't look the slightest tired. Dawn wasn't kidding when she said that was one of Paul's main Pokemon and strongest. His own Electivire was already brought to its limits just by two hits!

However, he wasn't one to back out of a fight so easily. "Electivire, use Cross Chop!"

"Focus Blast!" Paul immediatly replied.

"Hit it right back!" Gary quickly countered. His Electivire shot towards the opposing Electric type, who thrust its palms out and shooting a white energized sphere at the incoming attacker. Gary's Electivire tensed itself with its arms crossed, then diagonally chopped into the sphere, resulting in a small explosion that pushed it back.

Unfortunately for Gary, Paul wasn't going to let him rest. "Again! Keep doing it until you hit him!" His Electivire nodded and continuously fired off several more Focus Blasts, each one exploding on the ground whenever Gary's Pokemon dodged. It ducked, then jumped to the side avoiding two Focus Blasts, then jumped forward over another one. The others caught onto what he was doing.

"He's trying to close the gap between the two," Leaf muttered lowly. "That's smart."

"But it looks like Paul has something planned! Come on Gary, you can do this!" Max grit his teeth. Dawn looked at everyone and saw their tense looks, knowing they were rooting for Gary but when she turned to Leaf, she saw the brunette staring intently at Paul.

"He's bringing Gary into a trap," Leaf suddenly spoke up, startling everyone.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked. "Gary is trying to close the gap between the two Electivire so that he could correctly attack but Paul knows what he's doing and is bringing him into a trap where he could easily leave Gary open for an attack. I hate to say it, but it looks like the battle is in Paul's hands," Leaf said with her eyes closed.

"And how do you know that?" Iris asked. "For all we know, Paul could probably have no clue as to what's going on."

"That's where you're wrong," Reggie said. His smile was long replaced by a frown. "Look at Paul. See how he's keeping a close eye on Gary's Electivire and where exactly he's commanding his Electivire to fire the Focus Blast?"

The group looked at Paul and his Electivire, and where each Focus Blast was landing. Gary's Electivire was slowly catching up and by the slow movement Paul's Electivire was showing, it was clear that this was indeed a trap and that Paul was literally about to use Gary's trick to his own benefit.

Gary's face brightened when his Electivire was in close range at last. "Now, use Iron Tail!"

"No!" Gary abruptly turn around, seeing Dawn and everybody else's horrified expression before turning around and seeing Paul's smirk.

"Giga Impact!" Gary's eyes widened as Paul's Electivire crouched down and surrounded itself in purple and orange energy before shooting up towards his own Electivire, who was surprised by the turn of events. Giga Impact easily overpowered Iron Tail as Paul's Electivire slammed into Gary's Electivire and sent the latter flying up in the air before rocketing down and smashing into the ground. Dust and smoke was sent flying everywhere as a large explosion surrounded the downed Electivire.

The smoke cleared to reveal Gary's Electivire unconscious with swirls in its eyes while Paul's Electivire calmly landed beside its trainer. "Gary's Electivire is unable to battle. Paul wins this match," Brock said.

"Good work," Paul told it before returning the Thunderbolt Pokemon inside its Poke Ball.

"Electivire, you were amazing out there," Gary spoke as he returned the Electric type. "Take a good rest." He looked over at Paul who gave him a respectful nod. The Kanto native nodded back with a slight smile. Despite losing badly, that was still a tough and fun battle for Gary.

Reggie walked over to them with everyone else. "That was amazing! Paul, it's safe to say you're training definitely paid off. And Gary, you certainly live up to your name as Professor Oak's grandson!"

"Thanks Reggie, I appreciate that," Gary smiled. "And good battle Paul. I can see why you're considered such a strong trainer."

"Thanks, you too," Paul said. He turned to Reggie. "Let's go now." Reggie nodded and waved at the group of teenagers. "Bye guys, it was nice seeing you here. Hopefully, we can meet again sometime later!"

"You too, Reggie and Paul," Brock nodded. Everyone else said bye as well, with Max promising a battle to Paul, who rolled his eyes. The two Sinnoh brothers walked away, leaving the group to themselves.

Dawn walked up to Gary and held his arm, leaning against his shoulder. "Gary, you were amazing in that battle. You and Electivire really had it going!"

"Thanks Dawn, but I'm not surprised I lost so easily," Gary chuckled. "I knew from the start that I might not win since Paul's Electivire is more trained than mine. That doesn't mean my Electivire is weak at all."

"You are right about that," Brock said. "Paul has trained his Electivire the most out of all his Pokemon, even his Torterra. It is considered to be his strongest, but Torterra barely pulls through with its type advantage. At least, that was how it was before. I don't know where Paul's Pokemon stand now though."

"That's fine and all but Gary, why did you use Electivire?" Misty asked. Gary shrugged. "I just wanted a challenge, that's all. If I used anyone else, things would have gone alot smoother that's why."

"But your Electivire knows so many strong attacks," Serena said. "Why didn't you use them?"

"Because of Paul's Electivire's ability, right?" Leaf asked. Gary nodded and she continued. "Motor Drive, where if the user gets hit by an electric type attack, they aren't harmed by it rather boosted by attack and speed instead. If you used any Electric type moves, that battle would have been over in one hit."

"Smart," Gary chuckled. "Since when did you become so knowledgeable on battling?"

"Did you forget that I'm a trainer too?" Leaf raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, we should battle later on to see who's better."

"Sounds good to me."

Max cleared his throat and looked at Leaf. "Not so fast, first you have to get past me. I have to see if you're worthy of battling Gary!"

"Oh, can it already!" May practically shoved her brother out of the way, causing him to yelp. Misty and Iris shook their heads, the latter muttering, "What a little kid."

Clemont looked at the group. "Hey, let's go look around some more. We can find all sorts of things and take pictures or something."

"That's a great idea!" Serena exclaimed, causing Clemont to blush a little. The rest of the group agreed and began walking. Dawn rested her head against Gary's shoulder. She couldn't help but think about her boyfriend's battle with Paul, being similar to something Ash would do.

She sighed. _'Where are you Ash?'_

 **~xXx~**

The large van screeched to a stop in the fancy parking lot. The passenger door opened up and out walked Domino, freshly clad in a reporter's outfit, which consisted of a grey cardigan, leggings and a pair of black and white shoes. She also wore glasses and a backwards cap along with a nose ring to up her appearance.

The front driver's door opened and Archer walked out. He simply wore an orange turtleneck sweater with tan pants, and white shoes. His hair was slightly messed up too. The side door then opened up to reveal Proton, Petrel, and Ariana all clad in different outfits.

"Ready to go?" Ariana asked, stepping out of the van while carrying a laptop bag around her shoulder. Domino nodded as Proton and Petrel pulled out some equipment from the van and slammed the doors shut before Archer locked it. The group had been ordered to go undercover as a news team and go around doing various interviews and stuff so that they could get exclusive access into the building's many locations, which were off limits to regular people, and set up the plan.

"You guys know what to do," Domino ordered. "Remember to keep it professional. Giovanni has given us the most important task of the plan because of our responsibilites and accomplishments that we have shown throughout our work. Do not let him down now."

"Understood," Archer said. He looked at his fellow executives and nodded. "Remember what your roles are?"

"Yup," Proton answered. He was wearing sunglasses, a black beanie, a black hoodie and blue baggy jeans to show his appearance.

"All the way," Ariana replied. She wore a similar outfit like Domino, save for the glasses.

"You know me," Petrel said. He wore similar clothes like Archer, only he had a backwards cap on and sunglasses like Proton.

"Good," Domino said. "Let's start." She held a microphone in her hand while Archer held a large video camera over his shoulder, standing in front of Domino. Proton stood beside Archer and held a large microphone that seemed to be a few feet away from Domino, though her voice was heard loud enough.

"Hello everyone! This is Tulip Garcia for Star News reporting live at Champion's Plateau, the site of the upcoming Master League tournament!" Domino cheerfully spoke to the camera. While she was talking, Ariana was connecting the footage onto her laptop and sending it to the grunts who were also part of the news team. They were in the many helicopters up in the air, each having a different news team logo that was obviously made up.

The plan was simple, yet difficult to carry out. Domino and her team were to pose as a fake news team and infiltrate the building with their access. Due to tight security, they couldn't have their Pokemon on them when they went inside because of the Poke Ball detector drones that were constantly hovering around. They weren't the only ones contributing as Cassidy and Butch would be undercover as well, their presence heavily needed for the next part of the plan. The same went for Jessie, James, and Meowth who were especially crucial. If they did their tasks well, then the plan would be flawless and Team Rocket would have one hell of a victory. If not, then it would probably be over. Hence, that is why they all had to be very careful and not fool around this time.

 _'Let's get this show on the road,'_ Domino thought to herself as a small smirk appeared on her face.

 **-Mount Silver-**  
 **-Border of Kanto and Johto Regions-**

Silver Cave was a harsh, rocky environment that proved to be VERY challenging to trainers. Part of that was the dangerous and unstable ground and the incredibly strong Pokemon. The Pokemon too were very hostile and constantly fighting for territory. One would not expect the normal Zubat or Geodude dwelling around these parts. No, the environment was filled with many rare, powerful, and dangerous Pokemon like Tyranitar and Steelix. Nothing of weak species would be expected to be found here.

So the Pikachu that was currently running across the rocky terrain was DEFINITELY not normal. The Electric type Pokemon dashed and leapt from rock to rock and made its way through the cave until coming upon a large, rocky path that lead upwards a long steep slope.

The Pikachu frowned before trying to climb up the slope, only to slide back down. The Mouse Pokemon attempted to go at it again when a sudden loud footstep stopped it, making it turn around. A Golem stood in front the Pikachu, looking at it and the slope. An amused look came on to the Golem's face while the Pikachu sheepishly scratched its head.

"Pika! Pika pi chu!" Pikachu exclaimed pointing at the slope.

"Golll," Golem nodded and ushered for the Pikachu to climb on to its back. Once the Electric type did, the Golem charged at the slope, easily running up with its Rock Climb before reaching the top. The Pikachu jumped off and thanked the Golem, who merely nodded and went back down. The Pikachu turned around and headed out the cave exit, which was now in front of it.

Heavy snow hit the Pikachu's face as the blizzard made it almost impossible to see. It didn't mind though as it was used to it and merely made its way calmly across the environment. It wasn't really fond of living here, but it had to be done. Besides, it wasn't so bad. After its trainer conquered the mountain, the wild Pokemon had realized them as friends and helped them grow accustomed to their new home. The cave dwelling Pokemon had acted as guides in the beginning and now served to help them out whenever they got stuck somewhere in the mountain. Their source of food was the berries found and helped by none other than the wild Pokemon themselves. So it really wasn't that bad.

Still, the Pikachu missed the warm climate and the natural grass. Hopefully they would be moving out today and returning to the real world. The Electric type made its way through the blizzard, an arm held over its forehead shielding its eyes from the snow. It squinted its eyes and saw distinct shapes in the distance, immediatly recognizing its partner Pokemon.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. It ran over to the closest Pokemon and greeted it. A Lucario, who had been sitting crossed legged and meditating merely nodded back and stood up, following the mouse. Lucario had been anew asset to their trainer's team. They had met the Lucario back in their early Sinnoh journies as a Riolu who could perfectly use the move Aura Sphere. It returned to its kingdom shortly after that and met up with the trainer again during their current journey, becoming one of their most powerful Pokemon.

 **"This way,"** Lucario said, halting Pikachu. The mouse scratched its head and grinned, following the jackal Pokemon. Despite living on the mountain for 3 years, it still couldn't maneuver its way around. It had to rely on the Pokemon's aura to survive as well.

 **"Today's the day, huh?"** Lucario asked Pikachu as they trotted along the snow. Pikachu nodded. "Pi!"

 **"Good. It's about time we finally get off this damn mountain."** The two made their way over to a small rocky area where they could see several shapes. Three of them were the other Pokemon on the team lying around while the last one was a boy who was standing away from the Pokemon and looking off in the distance with his back facing them.

"Pika!" "Rua!" Pikachu and Lucario both greeted the other Pokemon, who nodded at them. Their team was really strong as their trainer had trained them so much. It was quite a diverse and varied team that could take on almost all types of Pokemon. Besides Pikachu and Lucario, there was the cool and collected Sceptile, the calm and serious Greninja, and the tough as nails Garchomp. There was also one more member of the team, but it was out running an errand and would be back soon.

All five Pokemon made their way towards the boy, who's eyes were hidden by the brim of his cap and was staring off in the distance. Over the years, he had gone from happy and energetic to quiet and serious. His training regiment had gotten tougher, hence why his Pokemon were as strong as they were. It was as if everything had changed except for one thing: the boy's love. His love for his Pokemon, whom he'd given a choice for them to follow him on the dangerous journey or live peacefully back at the lab. Of course, they all agreed to go with him and they had stuck together ever since. Of course, the Pokemon wished that whatever happened in Kalos didn't happen at all otherwise their trainer wouldn't be acting this way.

He was alerted by his Pokemon's presence and smiled at them. Pikachu climbed up on to his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek while the others happily stood by him. Lucario walked up to him.

 **"So, today's the day. We're finally leaving,"** the Aura Pokemon said. The boy nodded and said nothing else. That was enough for Lucario to know what his answer was. Of course, they had to wait until the last member of their team got back, then they could all go.

They wouldn't have to wait long as a loud roar sounded from the distance, prompting everyone to look in that direction. A large, draconic shape was rapidly approaching them and the group immediatly recognized it. They all made room for the large, orange dragon that landed on the ground in front of them. It let out a happy roar and held out a piece of paper. Normally, anybody would have shit their pants if they came face to face with the Pokemon and who could blame them? The Fire type was known to be intimidating and held great power within. Plus, it was also very loyal, especially to its trainer as it had been one of the first to go with him. Then again, Charizard had always stuck by Ash's side no matter what.

The boy took the paper from Charizard and looked at it, smiling slightly. It was the invitation to the Master League. More specifically, _his_ invitation. The boy knew of the upcoming event and that he would be invited. He had sent Charizard out to get his invitation from his house in Pallet Town. He had been waiting for this day. The day where he could finally leave Mount Silver.

"... ... ... ... ... ... ..."

It was time for Ash Ketchum to return.

 **~xXx~**

 **And ya boy is here! I know that the whole "Red" character has been done for Ash so many times, but I'm telling you this one is not like anything you've seen before. Anyway, I'm not too proud of this chapter since it feels kind of rushed to me. Eh, let me know what you guys think. In the meantime, make sure to leave the information above if you want your OC to take part in the tournament as well. See you all next chapter!**


	3. Prelude! Final Preparations!

**The Challenger Returns**

 **Welcome back to another chapter! How'd you like Ash's debut last chapter? Was it epic? Awesome? Overused? Eh, whatever. Anyway, I still don't have enough OC's. They're going to be used very soon so that's why I'm still telling you guys if you want your OC to be featured, please list the following information in your reviews:**

 **OC Name**

 **Party Pokemon (List the first three as your desired choices for 3v3 battles).**

 **Personality: How your OC should act throughout the story.**

 **Appearance: Not too detailed, just give me their clothes, skin color, eye color and hairstyle.**

 **That's all for now. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **~xXx~**

Full Summary: A loss can sometimes change a person. After Ash Ketchum mysteriously disappeared without a trace, his friends and family were left absolutely devastated. 3 years later, a tournament is being held in the exotic Dahara City, located in the faraway lands of the Kalos Region. Serving as the world's biggest event ever, trainers of all kind will be pit against each other in a battle for the best. Only the strongest of the strong can survive and go through the grueling journey. At first, entering the tournament seemed fun and worth a try, but when the missing trainer from Pallet Town returns to claim his place as the Pokemon Master, everyone has their mind set on finding their long lost friend. However, the Ash they once knew has completely changed and no one knows why. Along with old feelings resurfaced, ambitious rivals, and a dark plot endangering the lives of many, Ash and his friends are in for the toughest battles of their lives...

Normal Talk

 _Thoughts/Letters/Announcements/Flashbacks_

 **Pokemon talking**

 _ **Talking through aura/psychic ability**_

 **~xXx~**

~[Chapter 3: Prelude! Final Preparations!]~

 **-Champion's Plateau-**  
 **-Dahara City, Kalos Region-**

The next two days had passed and it was finally the day of the tournament. Gary couldn't help but feel psyched. He'd woken up and begun training with his Pokemon immediatly. Tournament rules stated that participants could only use one team throughout the tournament, so Gary was extremely careful to choose his team composed of his most powerful Pokemon so far. And after losing to Paul, he knew he had to up his game.

Gary stepped into the training grounds and threw all six Poke Balls in the air. They opened up to reveal his main team which consisted of his leading Blastoise, Scizor, Aerodactyl, Electivire, Arcanine, and his newest addition and second strongest, Tyranitar. This was his ace team that had almost never lost any battles in the past three years. Arcanine was the speed demon, going at insane speeds and providing powerful attacks and defense, as well as his most loyal and powerful Fire type. Scizor was kind of like Arcanine, except more on the defensive side with its Steel typing. Aerodactyl was the strongest flyer he had, Electivire was both tough and powerful and always providing additional stat boosts to the team and last but not least, Tyranitar was known to be a monster. It had the best defense out of anyone on its team, as well as an arsenal of powerful attacks that could easily crush any opponent. Not only that, but the Armor Pokemon had also adapted to its speed and was faster than a normal Tyranitar. And then Blastoise was his strongest and most loyal Pokemon he had and was known to be the most helpful.

"Alright, listen up!" Gary exclaimed. His Pokemon all looked at him expectantly. Ever since he'd received the invitation, Gary had been nonstop training this team of Pokemon specifically and took them to a whole another level. Not that they minded at all. Training was always something they liked to do.

"So, the tournament will start in a couple of hours from now. We have the chance to squeeze in some last minute training," Gary explained. "I want to make sure you're all in top shape before this thing starts." His Pokemon all let out affirmative cries, making Gary smile. "Good, then let's start."

His training method for today was simple: hold a little tournament between his Pokemon, and then divide them up into pairs to work on overcoming their weaknesses. He'd done this so many times but it was difficult to carry out, thus needing the constant practice.

Gary crossed his arms and watched intently as the first two Pokemon to step up for the tournament were Blastoise and Tyranitar, the two powerhouses of the team. He couldn't really blame them, the two had a rivalry going on and would always be up for a fight. So far Blastoise had the winning streak but that was due to the type advantage over Tyranitar, which was what Gary usually worked on.

"Begin!" he exclaimed. The two went at it immediatly, arms grappling together and locked in a pushing contest. One would think Tyranitar would easily win due to its sheer strength and all, but that was not the case here. Yes, his Tyranitar was crazy strong, but Blastoise had the most power out of anyone here. The Water type clearly had more strength, as it had been Gary's longest trained and most experienced Pokemon to date.

"Come on, Tyranitar! You're stronger than that!" Gary exclaimed. The Rock and Dark type heard him and growled. It was clearly trying its best but this big asshole of a turtle was too strong. Deciding that this was going nowhere, Tyranitar broke away and swung at Blastoise with a Shadow Claw.

"Blass!" Blastoise suddenly coated itself in steel, leaving the Shadow Claw to bounce off harmlessly. Gary nodded in approval. Blastoise's timing was something. That Iron Defense was perfect. Tyranitar wasn't going to live that down however. It opened its maw and let out a purple beam of energy that was too fast for Blastoise to react. Dragon Pulse successfully broke through Iron Defense and sent Blastoise stumbling back. Before it could recover, Tyranitar drove a Thunder Punch into its gut, earning a pained cry from the Shellfish Pokemon.

Tyranitar didn't stop there however. It kep on punching Blastoise repeatedly, doing more and more damage every second. Gary narrowed his eyes and watched intently. While he was concerned for his starter, Gary knew he'd taught Blastoise enough for it to think on its own perfectly. Surely the Water type had a plan rather than sit around and take the beating.

He was right when Blastoise suddenly slammed into Tyranitar's gut with Iron Head, prompting the Armor Pokemon to cry out in pain as it lurched back. Tyranitar tried to hit back, but Blastoise was faster and smashed an Ice Punch directly into the Rock type's face, then struck it again in the gut. Tyranitar stumbled back and Blastoise took the chance to charge at its opponent. It didn't get too far though as Tyranitar immediatly fought back by unleashing a strong dark aura of Payback that slammed into Blastoise and sent it skidding back.

"Good!" Gary commented while the rest of the Pokemon cheered as the two went at it again by lunging at each other, Ice Punch and Thunder Punch about to meet. He was impressed on how the two were fighting so far. Both had tanked a series of super effective attacks, then fought back with the same strength as before. This was exactly what Gary wanted with the rest of his team because then they could be unstoppable.

He winced as Blastoise's Hydro Pump abruptly slammed into Tyranitar, painfully knocking it down. He heard Arcanine whimper at the sight of the Water type attack and decided it was over.

"Enough! You both did well!" Tyranitar, who was about to get up and unleash hell upon its opponent, nodded its head and stood up. Blastoise lowered its cannons and awaited its trainers orders. Before Gary could commend the two on their work, he was interupted by a sound of clapping coming from behind him.

"Not bad," Leaf said as she walked up to him, wearing a smirk. "That's a pretty solid team you have there. Thought I'd find you here. The others are just roaming around and doing nothing, so I'd figured I come train here and hopefully see you."

Gary grinned. "Why, cause you miss me? Aww, that's sweet!" Leaf scowled. "As if."

Gary however kept going. "Little Leaf got lonely and decided to look for a friend? How cute." He was punched in the arm by the brunette after that. Painfully to. "Oww. Can't take a joke?"

"Not if you don't know how to joke," Leaf retorted. "And 'Little Leaf'? Really? I'm the said age as you, only shorter."

"Eh, that's still little to me," Gary shrugged. "So, what brings you here?"

"Like I said, I came here to train and kill time until the tournament starts," Leaf said. She then grinned. "Hey, you up for that battle we promised to have?"

Gary smirked back. "Why not? I could use an early victory in the morning."

"Don't get too cocky with yourself. I'm far stronger than you think!"

"Well, let's see now shall we? How does a three on three sound to you? After that, we can go meet with the others."

"Sounds good to me. Let me show you my team now. Come out everyone!" Leaf threw all six Poke Balls in the air, each opening up to reveal Leaf's Pokemon.

Gary's eyes slightly widened as a massive Venusaur took shape, followed by a Nidoqueen, a Chandelure, an Espeon, a Kingdra, and a Honchkrow, all standing by and waiting for their trainer's orders. "That's a nice team there."

"Thank you," Leaf smiled. "They're my most powerful ones too. You recognize Venusaur, right?" The Grass type in return greeted Gary, to which the boy returned with a nod. "Yeah, my Blastoise would love to fight it, right Blastoise?" Said Water type pounded both its fists in determination as the two starters narrowed their eyes down at each other.

"Well, let's get started," Leaf said turning to her Pokemon. "For this battle, I'm picking Venusaur, Espeon and... Honchkrow!"

"Saur!"

"Eon!"

"Crow..."

The three Pokemon stepped up and gave Gary a determined glare. The boy turned around and looked at all his determined Pokemon. "Alright. Blastoise, Arcanine, and Aerodactyl, you're up." Tyranitar let out a growl of protest in return. "Relax tough guy. I'll use you in the tournament alot, so you'll have all the glory there, okay?" That seemed to calm the Armor Pokemon.

Gary turned around and gave Leaf a smirk. "Your call." Leaf nodded and looked at Espeon, who gave her a nod. "Okay Espeon, you're up first!"

"Arcanine, get in there," Gary calmly said. The Fire type bounded over to his spot and crouched down in a fighting stance, growling at the slightly shaken up Espeon. Intimidate had done its work and now he had an advantage already. "Let's do this! Flamethrower, go!"

Arcanine opened its maw and let out a large stream of fire that soared towards Espeon, who tensed up in return. That fire looked really hot and it could hurt real bad if it landed, but Leaf wasn't taking that chance especially when it was Gary's Arcanine of all things. "Dodge it!"

"Es!" Espeon jumped to the side as the flames crashed down on where it stood before. Leaf winced when she saw the explosion it made. A red, smoldering crater was left in its wake. Yeah, that would have been bad. "Shadow Ball!"

Espeon prepared a dark shadowy ball in its mouth before launching it at its opponent.

"Arcanine, counter with Dragon Pulse!" The Fire type opened its maw and let out a purple beam of energy that flew towards the middle of the field, where it met with Shadow Ball and exploded. With the large amount of smoke now covering the middle, Gary took his chance. "Now get in there with Extreme Speed and use Thunder Fang!"

Arcanine was gone in a blink of an eye, already tearing down through the field where it disappeared in the smoke. A second later, a yellow flash was seen in the smoke, followed by a pained cry. Gary tensed up, wondering whether or not Arcanine's attack had landed.

Sure enough, Espeon was sent hurtling out of the smoke where it landed roughly on the ground, while Arcanine dashed right after it.

Leaf was quick to shout out an order. "Quick, knock it back with Psybeam!" Espeon let out rainbow ray that sailed towards the incoming Pokemon. At first it looked like it was going to hit, but then Gary shouted out, "Flame Charge!"

Leaf bit her lip as Arcanine shrouded itself in flames and tore through the Psybeam, racing towards Espeon at high speeds. "Get out of the way with Agility!" Espeon obliged, becoming a blur as it dashed away while Arcanine pursued it.

The two trainers watched as the chase continued, with Arcanine blasting off bits of the ground due to the high powered flames while Espeon skillfully increased the gap between them. Gary frowned, knowing that Espeon was too quick for Arcanine to catch up. It was time to step it up. "Arcanine, add Extreme Speed to the Flame Charge, now!"

Leaf's eyes widened. "What?!" She was forced to watch as Arcanine suddenly tore through the field at an insanely speed. She knew Arcanine were one of the fastest Pokemon ever, but this was just crazy. Judging by how the gap between the two Pokemon was rapidly closing, Leaf knew she had to do something as there was no way for Espeon to outrun her pursuer. "Espeon, use Swift!"

"Whoa!" Gary cried out as Arcanine was suddenly bombarded by numerous golden stars launched from the Psychic type, prompting the Fire type to trip and tumble forward.

Leaf immediatly took the chance. "Trap it with Grass Knot and then use Psyshock!" Espeon suddenly glowed a green aura as roots erupted from the ground and latched on to Arcanine's legs, holding it down and preventing it from moving. Espeon then glowed blue and blasted a wave of psychic energy at Arcanine, who howled in pain as it was struck by the powerful attack.

"Arcanine, break free by surrounding yourself in fire!" Gary shouted. Arcanine's body suddenly erupted in flames, vaporizing the roots immediatly and freeing it from its temporary prison.

"Espeon, stop it with Shadow Ball!"

"Arcanine, use Fire Blast!"

"Arrcaa!" Arcanine shouted as it blasted a massive star shaped fire ball at the Shadow Ball, resulting in another explosion. "Now get it with Flare Blitz!"

Leaf gasped. "Espeon, stop it with Psychic!" Espeon briefly glowed blue as it prepared the psychic energy, but Arcanine was faster. The Fire type had surrounded itself with hot blue flames and slammed into Espeon quickly, another explosion resulting and sending the Sun Pokemon flying.

"Espeon!" Leaf shouted as her Pokemon hit the ground, kicking up dust. Espeon groaned as it struggled to stand up, cuts and burns now evident on its body. "Are you okay?"

"Eon!" Espeon nodded, then let out a pained cry as its body erupted in fire. Leaf gasped, seeing now that her Pokemon had been burned and was on its last legs. She looked back at Arcanine, who was trembling from the recoil, but otherwise looked relatively fine.

Gary had a grin on his face. "Finish this with Flamethrower!" Arcanine roared and blasted out a stream of fire that blazed towards the downed Espeon. Leaf urged the Psychic type to dodge it, but it was too late as the fire crashed into the Psychic type and exploding. The dust then revealed Espeon lying unconscious with swirls in its eyes.

"Yes! Good job Arcanine!" Gary praised his Pokemon. Arcanine let out a victorious roar as its teammates cheered it on. Leaf's Pokemon meanwhile looked disappointed and concerned towards Espeon, whom Leaf had returned and was now looking at its Poke Ball. "You were amazing Espeon. Take a rest. We still got our win."

Leaf looked at Gary with a smirk and calmly stood there, not ordering her Pokemon to go, much to Gary's confusion. "Uh, what are yo-".

He was cut off by a beam of pink energy suddenly crashing down onto Arcanine from seemingly nowhere. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Leaf grinned. "You didn't think that I'd let you win so easily, did you Gare bear?" Gary's shocked expression remained as the smoke cleared to reveal an unconscious Arcanine on the ground. "W-what just happened?"

"Future Sight happened," Leaf answered. She held back a laugh as she saw Gary's lip tremble. "Like I said, you're not winning this so easily. Honchkrow, let's go!" The Big Boss Pokemon let out a shriek and flew towards the field where it waited.

Gary finally recovered and scowled. "Clever, but don't think this will be easy for you now. Aerodactyl, show her why we mean business!" Aerodactyl screeched as it flew over to its spot on the field and stared Honchkrow down. Both Flying types seemed to have a spark in their eyes, knowing that they were giving it their all in this battle.

"Let's start it off this time! Honchkrow, use Dark Pulse!" Leaf shouted raising her arm in the air. Honchkrow reared its head back and shot out multiple dark energy rings from its beak, all sailing towards Aerodactyl.

"Fly up to avoid those!" Gary exclaimed. Aerodactyl gave a mighty flap of its wings and took off in the air, letting the Dark Pulse harmlessly pass below it and strike the ground. "Now, let's go strong wit-" Gary was cut off as Aerodactyl suddenly swerved to the left, barely avoiding Honchkrow, who had charged at its opponent from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Keep going! Knock it down with Steel Wing!" Leaf shouted. Honchkrow nodded and flew towards Aerodactyl with its wings outstretched and coated with a white glow.

"Dodge it!" Gary shouted.

"No you don't! Agility to go faster!"

Leaf's command reached all the way to Gary's ears as his eyes widened, seeing Honchkrow suddenly disappear in a blur and appear in front of Aerodactyl, slamming its steel wings on the Rock type. Aerodactyl screeched in pain and tried to fly away, but Honchkrow kept up its onslaught, suddenly coming out from the left and striking its opponent again.

Gary grit his teeth. It was obvious that Leaf had trained her Honchkrow's speed so well because he couldn't even keep track of the Dark type. And if this kept up, Aerodactyl would be finished in no time as Steel Wing was super effective against the Rock type. Luckily, he had a plan to help him out.

"Aerodactyl, use Sandstorm!" The Rock type started to flap its wings, creating a huge gust of wind that picked up sand from the ground. Immediatly, a large sandstorm had consumed the field, hiding Aerodactyl from sight.

"Now let's fight back! Thunder Fang!" Gary shouted. Leaf narrowed her eyes as she saw Honchkrow desperately look around. There was no doubt that Thunder Fang would do massive damage to Honchkrow if it hit, and with the sandstorm providing cover for Aerodactyl, there was no telling where it would come from and they wouldn't be able to counter. Of course that wouldn't be happening, as Leaf already knew what to say. "Clear the sandstorm with Defog, then hit Aerodactyl with Steel Wing!"

Honchkrow shrieked and flapped its wings, generating blue energy blades that sliced through the sandstorm, making it weaker and weaker until it completely died down and revealing Aerodactyl charging at it with its electrified fangs. Honchkrow flew towards the Pokemon and at the last second curved upward and slammed its right wing down on the fossil Pokemon's face, earning a pained shriek.

Gary's eyes widened as Aerodactyl began to rocket towards the ground. Before he could shout out a command, Leaf beat him to it. "Finish it off with Shadow Ball!"

Gary frowned and immediatly shouted out, "Block it with Thunder Fang!" Aerodactyl flipped itself around and barely managed to clamp down on the Shadow Ball with its electrified fangs. The explosion sent Aerodactyl falling to the ground at a faster rate, but the Rock type managed to save itself at the last second. It flew back up, barely avoiding another Dark Pulse before repositioning itself so it was facing its opponent.

"Alright Aerodactyl, use Stone Edge!" Gary shouted. This time he was getting the control back. Aerodactyl growled as a fleet of stones suddenly erupted from the ground and hurled towards Honchkrow, who squaked in surprise and flew around trying to dodge.

"Honchkrow, protect yourself with Steel Wing!" Leaf shouted. Honchkrow's wings glowed white as it began to slice the stones back in a sword like motion. "Aerodactyl quick, use Thunder Fang while it's distracted!"

Leaf narrowed her eyes. "No you don't! Night Slash!" Honchkrow's wings suddenly glowed a dark aura as Aerodactyl came flying at it. It smacked the Rock type with its wing, jerking it to the side then smacking it again, this time clamping the Fossil Pokemon's jaws shut. Honchkrow then flew forward and slammed both its wings, knocking Aerodactyl back and flew in for an Aerial Ace, but Aerodactyl managed to swerve out of the way and was now behind the Big Boss Pokemon.

Leaf's eyes widened as Gary smirked. "Now, Hyper Beam!" Aerodactyl opened its maw, showing orange energy in its mouth before it was released in a form of a massive beam. Honchkrow, having no time to dodge, was directly struck by Hyper Beam and sent rocketing to the ground. "Honchkrow, are you okay?"

The Dark type nodded as it slowly got up and gave a small flap of its wings to hover itself off the ground. "Good, now Taunt it!" Aerodactyl seemed to form a tick mark on its head seeing Honchkrow giving it a smirk and making a motion with its fingers.

The Rock type screeched and dove for the Dark type, who smirked as Gary shouted, "No, don't fall for it!"

Too late. Aerodactyl was hit directly in the face by a super effective Steel Wing, then blasted back a good feet by Dark Pulse. "Now, Fly after it and hit it with Night Slash!"

Honchkrow took off after Aerodactyl, who was still recovering from the recent hit. "Dodge!" Aerodactyl's eyes widened as it saw Honchkrow blitzing towards it with its dark aura filled wings. Not wanting to feel that, the Rock type back flipped, letting Honchkrow fly under it, and flew right after it with its jaws crackling with electricity.

"Honchkrow, get away with Agility!" Leaf shouted. "Aerodactyl, don't let it escape! Agility to catch up!" Gary was quick to order.

Honchkrow shrieked as it flew through the air at great speed with Aerodactyl right on its tail, the latter's electrified jaws wide open. The two Pokemon cut through the air as they flew around the field at insane speeds, kicking up strong winds. They swerved to the right and Honchkrow barely managed to avoid the Thunder Fang. Aerodactyl growled and picked up speed, now slowly catching up. Unfortunately for it, this was what Leaf wanted.

"Air Slash!" she shouted, much to Gary and Aerodactyl's surprise. Honchkrow briefly turned around and swiped its right wing, creating a blade of energy that sliced through the air and striking Aerodactyl, earning a pained screech from it and momentarily slowing it down. "Now finish this! Dark Wing!"

Gary was confused. "Dark Wing? What kind of attack is that?" He got his answer immediatly as Honchkrow suddenly shrouded its entire body in Dark Pulse. The Big Boss Pokemon was now pitch black shadow with only its piercing purple eyes showing as it sharply turned around, letting its wings ignite a dark aura and take the form of Night Slash.

His eyes widened as Honchkrow suddenly blasted towards Aerodactyl with black and blue flames surrounding itself, knowing what the attack was. "Stone Edge!"

The armada of stones were no match as Honchkrow blasted through them all, now headed straight for Aerodactyl, who uneasily watched. Gary narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth. "Ancient Power and then Dragon Pulse!"

Aerodactyl glowed a purple aura as it conjured large boulders that glowed the same aura and levitated in the air. The Fossil Pokemon then launched the boulders at Honchkrow, and immediatly followed it up with a large purple beam of draconic energy. The purple draconic boulders flew towards Honchkrow as Leaf narrowed her eyes. "You can beat that! Fly through it!"

Honchkrow let out a loud shriek and blazed towards the chaos. All the other Pokemon watched with wide eyes as Honchkrow sailed into the mass armada shrouded in dark energy, resulting in a purple and black explosion that left alot of dark smoke in its wake.

The two traines had to cover their eyes to avoid the dust that was flying everywhere. They watched as the smoke slowly began to clear, revealing Aerodactyl in the same position as before.

Then, Honchkrow shot out of the smoke and flew towards Aerodactyl at high speed, despite looking more beat up then before. Leaf's eyes widened. "Go Honchkrow, you can do it!"

Gary however expected this. Whatever attack Leaf had ordered Honchkrow to do was insanely powerful and had no way of directly countering it. So he had to have Aerodactyl use all those extra attacks in order to weaken the power behind Honchkrow's attack. And now it looked like he could finish this. "Aerodactyl, let's end this with Hyper Beam!"

Leaf gasped as Aerodactyl reared back and shot out the large, orange beam of destruction that sailed towards Honchkrow where they met. Another explosion occured, this time along with the Big Boss Pokemon's pained cry as it crashed down onto the ground below. "Honchkrow!"

The smoke cleared to reveal Honchkrow on its stomach with its wings sprawled out and swirls in its eyes. Leaf sighed, pulling out the Dark type's Poke Ball and returning it, thanking it for its good job and clasping it onto her belt.

She looked at Aerodactyl, who seemed to be breathing heavily as it continued to heavily flap its wings. She could see that the battle had clearly taken its toll on the Rock type and as tough as it could be, it was going to go down now.

"Hey Leaf, what was that attack you had Honchkrow use?" Gary asked.

"You mean Dark Wing? It's a combination between Dark Pulse, Night Slash, and Brave Bird," Leaf answered. "It's really tough to master, but Honchkrow's been training on that for a long time now and it's almost got it."

Gary chuckled. "Wow, that does sound tough. Three moves in one, who knew? That was impressive."

Leaf smiled. "Thanks but you haven't seen anything yet! Venusaur, it's your turn!" The Grass type let out a grunt and lumbered its way onto the field. Gary could tell that this was Leaf's ace in the hole, so this would be a tough battle. However, Aerodactyl had the aerial and type advantage and he still had one more Pokemon, so it wouldn't be too bad.

"Let's start! Venusaur, Ingrain!" Leaf shouted.

"Saur!" Venusaur exclaimed as it stomped its foot on the ground, letting out a bunch of roots that seeped into the ground around the Grass type's feet. Leaf had set up a healing station for Venusaur, making that a problem Gary needed to get rid of. "Aerodactyl, let's start off strong with Flamethrower!"

Aerodactyl reared its head back and let out a strong series of flames that soared down towards Venusaur, who calmly stood their waiting. Suddenly, a bluish green barrier appeared in front of the Kanto Grass starter, shielding it from the Flamethrower that crashed down on the barrier and doing nothing to it.

Gary's eyes widened. "Protect? Really?" Leaf just shrugged. "Urgh, fine then! Aerodactyl, use Fire Fang quick!" Aerodactyl dove down towards Venusaur with flames circling around its open jaws.

Leaf smirked. "Grab it!" Gary's eyes widened as multiple vines shot out from the ground, wrapping around Aerodactyl's wings, jaws, and body, suspending it midair. "Now slam it down!"

"Veee na!" Venusaur exclaimed as the vines thrust Aerodactyl down, slamming it on the ground hard. It groaned as it struggled to get up and Leaf reacted with, "Again!"

Gary was forced to watch as Aerodactyl was repeatedly lifted up and abruptly slammed to the ground a few more times before lifting it up and letting it hang limply. "Aerodactyl, are you okay?"

"Razor Leaf," Leaf lazily said. Venusaur unleashed a barrage of sharp pointed leaves that slammed into it, freeing it from the vines and knocking it out. Gary took out Aerodactyl's Poke Ball and returned it before turning to Blastoise and nodding.

"Blastoise, let's do this!" Gary shouted. His first Pokemon made its way to the field, staring Venusaur down the whole way. This was already a tough battle to begin with. It would not lose now.

Leaf grinned, seeing the two starters tense up and glare at each other. "What a way to start off the finale, huh?"

"You bet!" Gary responded. "Let's see who is the better one now! Start off with Ice Beam on the ground!"

Blastoise opened its maw and unleashed a freezing beam of ice on the ground, immediatly encasing it in ice. It moved its head around, letting the Ice Beam freeze the ground around the two Pokemon, eventually turning it into a field of ice.

"Clever," Leaf smirked as she raised her arm in the air while Venusaur glowed a bright green aura. "But not quite. Grassy Terrain!" She brought her arm down just as Venusaur slammed its leg down on the ground, the ice field immediatly breaking off and being replaced by lush, natural grass.

Gary and Blastoise watched as the grass continued to spread throughout the whole field, breaking off all the ice and eventually making its way towards Blastoise's spot which ended up with the same fate. The field had gone from a dusty ground to an ice rink and a grassy plain in less than a minute. And that was not something Gary had planned. Especially when he saw the bracelet on Leaf's wrist as she lifted her arm up.

"Now I'm going to show you the real power between me and Venusaur!" Leaf shouted as she pressed the stone on her bracelet. The stone wrapped around a string on Venusaur's front left leg glowed a bright rainbow color as the Pokemon and trainer both shouted at the same time, being in total sync.

Gary and Blastoise were forced to cover their eyes as the Mega Evolution took place, finally opening then again when the light died down and revealed Venusaur in a different form, one that had a massive tree on its back. Of course she had a Mega Venusaur. When did anybody NOT have a Mega evolved Pokemon these days?

"Well Gary, ready to admit that I'm the better trainer?" Leaf said with a smug expression on her face. "I know that your Blastoise is strong and all, but let's be real here it doesn't stand a chance against a Mega evolved Venusaur!"

Gary smirked back. "That's where you're wrong." He then lifted his left arm up and tugged down the sleeve of his black jacket, revealing a Mega Ring and Keystone as well. He found Leaf's shocked expression to hilarious but didn't say anything as Blastoise's stone on its right arm flashed a rainbow color as well.

"You know, at first I was a bit skeptical about this whole 'Mega Evolution' thing, but after seeing what it can do...," Gary fixed a determined glare on Leaf as the light died down to reveal his Mega Blastoise. "...I'm down to take my Pokemon to the next level! Hydro Pump!"

Mega Blastoise now had a thicker shell that supported a third large cannon over its head. Its hands both had small mini cannons as well. With the new transformation, the power of Hydro Pump itself was INSANE, especially against a Grass type. The three cannons blasted out large funnels of water that crashed into Venusaur and sending it skidding back. Leaf was shocked when she saw that the attack had actually done some damage.

"You have a Mega Ring too?!"

Gary shrugged. "Yeah, but I only use it when I'm in trouble. It's not only Blastoise who has it too. Ever since I started journeying as a trainer again, I got to collect a few more Mega Stones for my Pokemon. Something you haven't done, right?"

Leaf scowled. "Leaf Storm!" Venusaur growled and glowed a green aura again, firing off an army of leaves that sailed towards Blastoise.

"Blizzard," Gary calmly countered. He had taught Blastoise a variety of moves to overcome its weaknesses, Grass being one of them. In other words, Blizzard proved to be very beneficial to Blastoise as the leaves were instantly frozen in the snowstorm that was created from Blastoise's cannons, leaving it unharmed. Leaf grit her teeth and gave out the next order. "Sludge Bomb! Keep going until you hit Blastoise!"

"Iron Defense," Gary countered. He smirked, knowing Iron Defense would fully protect Blastoise from the Poison type attack if directly hit. Otherwise, he didn't have anything to worry about. Sure enough, one Sludge Bomb managed to hit Blastoise while the Water type was dodging, but it had no effect on its steel coated body.

To his shock however, Leaf was smirking. "Good job, Venusaur! Now use Energy Ball!"

"Blastoise counter with Focus Blast!" Gary shouted. The Energy Ball soared towards Blastoise, who tried to conjure up the white sphere from its cannon. Before it could launch it, Blastoise winced as it was surrounded in a purple aura, cancelling out the Focus Blast. "What? It's poisoned?!"

"Yup!" Leaf proudly answered. "I wasn't really aiming for Blastoise, but instead planted most of the Sludge Bombs on the ground to act as a poison field. The Grassy Terrain helps it stay and enhances its power too, so Blastoise has no way of getting rid of the poison!"

Honestly, Gary was really impressed with Leaf's strategy. This whole setup with Grassy Terrain and the misfiring of Sludge Bomb was all part of her plan? That was a damn good strategy that could certainly help out in the tournament!

To add insult to the injury, Blastoise took a direct hit from Energy Ball, sending it stumbling back and recoiling from poison again. Great. "Blastoise, pull yourself together!"

"Not happening. Leaf Storm!" Venusaur summoned the powerful leaves again and shot them at Blastoise, who had no time to react. The Water type let out a pained cry as the super effective attack struck, hurting it even more when poison attacked again.

Gary grit his teeth. "Fight back with Flash Cannon!"

"Quick, use Sunny Day!" "Sunny Day-what?!" Gary asked dumbfounded. Just what was this girl doing? The white beam of steel energy flew forward and struck Venusaur head on, right after it fired the orange orb into the sky, exploding into a vast amount of sunlight. As Venusaur recoiled from the pain, its large bulb began to emit a bright yellow light.

Gary's eyes widened as he realized what she was doing and was quick to give an order. "Oh no you don't! Blastoise, cancel that Sunny Day out with Rain Dance!"

Blastoise roared as a blue light surrounded its body before the sky turned dark with black rain clouds that immediatly began to shower the field with rain drops. Leaf pouted in annoyance. She had hoped to launch that Sunny Day early while tanking that one Flash Cannon from Blastoise so that her Pokemon could have enough time to charge up the Solar Beam that could have ended the battle in her favor.

However, Gary had clearly seen through that and it was obvious he wasn't going to let her attempt that again. "Well then, let's try a head on battle! Double Edge!"

Venusaur's body glowed a yellow light as it began charging at Blastoise with great power. Gary smirked. "There we go. Giga Impact!" Blastoise growled as it crouched down, gathering large amoung of energy in its body. It suddenly propelled forward as the purple and orange energy boosted its power.

Both Pokemon met in the middle head on, pushing against each other for a bit. The two glared at each other through their attacks with nothing but a desire to win. An explosion suddenly pushed them back from each other. Blastoise skidded back on his feet and let out a sharp breath, having to recharge after using a powerful attack like that. Venusaur on the other hand skidded back as well, though looking a little more beat up due to the recoil damage.

Leaf grinned, seeing how Blastoise was temporarily immobile to use her chance. "I win Gary! Frenzy Plant!"

Venusaur roared as it glowed a bright green aura, stomping its feet as a multitude of large vines burst from the ground, coiling at a large height. Gary uneasily watched as more vines erupted from the ground, coiling around Blastoise, preventing it from escaping. He knew the ultimate Grass type move would do tremendous damage, especially since Blastoise had to recharge. _'Come on Blastoise, I know you can do it.'_

"Attack!" Leaf shouted, thrusting her palm forward. The army of vines then slammed down on top of Blastoise, causing a large green explosion that made Gary shield his eyes with an arm. Not only that, but the force of the impact had slightly shaken the ground as he was now wobbling, trying to keep his balance.

He uncovered his eyes as the smoke cleared, revealing Blastoise on all fours in a large crater. The Water type was breathing heavily and had bruises all over its body. It had barely managed to survive the onslaught thanks to its long time training. It managed to push itself back to its feet and nod at its surprised trainer. "Blass!"

Gary smirked back. "I knew you could do it. You ready to finish this?" He received a nod from his faithful starter and grinned. Leaf had meanwhile jaw dropped. She had just weakened Blastoise to at least half its health, then directly attacked it with the ultimate Grass type move while Mega Evolved, and it still wasn't enough to knock out the Water type. What made it worse was that her Venusaur was the one who had to recharge while Blastoise could attack again. "Impossible."

"Heh, look how the tables have turned Leaf," Gary said with his trademark cocky smirk. "You were so confident in your victory that you left one little detail out." Upon seeing her face, he continued. "You forgot that a Blastoise's shell provides an extra additional defense."

Leaf gasped. "You mean that Blastoise used its shell to protect itself at the last second? No way!"

"I mean, it could have still survived no matter what, but you never know," Gary shrugged. He then grinned. "Now let's finish this. Freeze Venusaur's legs with Ice Beam!"

"Blasss toissse!" Blastoise shouted as it opened its maw and shot the freezing beam as the immobile Venusaur, who grunted when the ice hit its skin. The ice beam froze its legs as Blastoise continued until the entire lower half of Venusaur's body was encased in ice, rendering it unable to move.

"Venusaur, you have to break out of there!" Leaf desperately shouted.

"Blizzard!" Gary exclaimed. Blastoise let out a volley of snow from its cannons, hitting Venusaur who was unable to break free, earning a pained cry from the Grass type. It was starting to come to fatigue by the two super effective attacks and one more hit could do it. Leaf kept trying to get Venusaur to move, but the Grass and Poison type was utterly exhausted by now.

Gary cringed as Blastoise winced from the still poison effect and knew if this stalled longer, Blastoise would eventually come to the poison and lose. However, he knew just the way to end this. "Hydro Cannon!"

Leaf's eyes widened as Blastoise suddenly glowed a blue aura, creating three large orbs of water from its cannons. The triple Hydro Pump was fired, rampaging through the ground towards Venusaur, who had no way to dodge. The Grass type was struck directly by Hydro Cannon, resulting in a large explosion as water rained from it.

Leaf didn't even need to see as the smoke cleared that Venusaur had reverted back to its normal form and was now unconscious. She merely returned her starter to its Poke Ball and thanked it for its job. Her other Pokemon let out cries of disappointment at the loss, but Leaf smiled at them and returned them.

She walked over to Gary, who had returned Blastoise and the rest of his cheering Pokemon, and stood in front of him. Gary raised an eyebrow as Leaf held out her hand, a small smile on her face. "Great battle Gary. That was fun."

"Thanks," he said as he shook her hand. "You too, Leaf. That was probably the toughest battle I've had in a while. Your Pokemon are very strong and well trained."

Leaf smirked. "Oh wow, Gary Oak is actually congratulating me? I'm flattered!"

Instead of getting mad, it was Gary's turn to smirk much to the brunette girl's surprise. "Well, people change over time and I'm happy to say I'm one of those people."

"So mature," Leaf smiled, shaking her head. "It's good to see you've changed though. The old Gary would have been a bitch about it and rubbed it all over my face."

This prompted Gary to laugh. "The old Gary is gone! He wasn't as cool as the new Gary! However, you're still the same little Leafy as before!" He then reached out and ruffled her hair, earning a surprised yelp from her. She pushed him back, a small blush on her face before speaking up. "Just remember that little Leafy here can kick you ass!"

Gary looked like he was about to say something before Leaf beat him to it. "And I don't mean a Pokemon battle!" The boy put his hands up in defense. "Whoa, I am so scared! Little Leafy here is going to beat me up with her terrifying looks!"

Leaf playfully punched his arm. "Oh shut up. Let's just go meet up with the others already!"

Gary smirked. "Lead the way."

 **~xXx~**

 **-Entrance Gate-**  
 **-Outside of Champion's Plateau-**

The woman sighed as she slumped back in her seat. Today had been a long day. People had been arriving here all day for the tournament. Most of them had been participants, having to go through the gate she was working at. Not only were there so many people, but it was also alot of work just to check everybody's invitation and check for any prohibited items, then let them in.

"Why did everyone else had to show up today?" the woman complained to herself. "Why today when it's my shift?"

The Porygon next to her let out a tired beep in agreement. The Digital Pokemon was used as a security checker, serving to see if the invitations were real and if everybody's ID was also real. Needless to say, it had been tiring for the two. But now their shift was over. The tournament would be starting in two hours and she had to be at the stadium by then.

"Well, at least now we get to sit back and enjoy the show," the woman said to the Porygon, who happily agreed. The two got up and began to pack everything up. They were about to head out when the woman suddenly saw a shape approaching them in the distance.

"What the-?" Before she could say anything, the Charizard suddenly crashed down in front of them, creating a small earthquake in the process. The Fire type's trainer hopped off and recalled it inside its Poke Ball before making his way towards the intimidated woman. She saw the boy had a red cap over his messy raven hair and his eyes were hidden by the brim of his cap. The Pikachu sitting on his shoulder wore a serious expression on its face.

"U-um...hi!" she squeaked. Whoever this boy was, he definitely had an aura of power around him.

"... ... ... ... ..." The boy didn't say anything except reach into his pocket and fish out a crumpled up paper. He unraveled the paper and placed it on the table in between the two.

"Oh!" the woman recognized it as an invitation to participate in the tournament. Normally she would have just let him pass but as part of her job and how she was dedicated to work, she had to go through the procedure.

"Um...I have to see if this is real. Do you have any ID on you?" the woman asked. The boy raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a rusty Pokedex. He turned it on and showed the screen to the woman, whose eyes went wide as she read the name.

"You're..." she said, unable to comprehend what she had seen. The boy sighed and gave her a look that said "Can we get this over with?" She nodded and had her Porygon scan the Pokedex. It didn't take that long as the Porygon gave an affirmative beep.

"You're good to go," the woman said. The boy nodded and put his Pokedex back in his pocket. He was about to walk off when the woman stopped him. "Um...good luck on winning the tournament. I've heard alot about you and uh...I'm a fan."

The boy looked at her with a mildly surprised look. He didn't expect to have a fan. The woman then continued. "Yeah, I've seen all your public battles. My favorite one is the Orange League. Anyway um, yeah good luck. There are alot of strong trainers here so don't hold back at all if you're aiming to win."

"... ... Thanks... ..." The woman flinched as she heard him speak for the first time. The boy nodded as he saw her questioning look and walked off, adjusting the brim of his cap.

"Pika!" Pikachu said as they stepped into the beautiful exotic city for the first time. Ash followed his Pokemon's gaze, seeing the large tower in the distance. He looked at the tower with a determined glare on his face.

"... We've come so far...no backing down now..."

 **-xXx-**

Gary and Leaf had met up with the group a little while later after their training. While the two had agreed that the battle was all fun and games, Gary couldn't help but rub it in her face time to time. Needless to say, Leaf was getting irritated each second.

"Alright Gary, calm down," Dawn said, glancing at Leaf warily, who looked ready to knock her boyfriend's teeth out.

Gary pouted but listened to Dawn. "Aw, fine! You ruined my fun!"

"Nah, she just saved your ass," Leaf remarked. "Keep talking and you would've ended up in a body bag."

Gary snorted. "As if." The two glared at each other before bursting out in a fit of laughter. The others sweatdropped, not knowing what to make of the childhood friends. One second they were arguing, the next they were laughing together. It was almost like another Misty and Max, only less fighting.

"Honestly, these fights never get old," Leaf said, slinging an arm around Gary's shoulder. Dawn slightly narrowed her eyes at this. Leaf had been getting a little too close to her boyfriend for the past two days. She knew the two were childhood friends and all but at the age they were, anything was possible.

Dawn shook her head. She needed to stop thinking about this. She wasn't one to get jealous so easily and hold a grudge just for that. Even though they had recently met, Leaf was Dawn's friend and she was going to treat her like one.

"Come on, guys! The tournament starts in an hour and we have to claim the front row seats!" Max shouted, running ahead of everyone.

"Max, stop running!" May called out but it was no use. Her little energetic brother was running so fast that he couldn't watch where he was going.

"Oof!" he crashed into an older boy and fell back down. "S-sorry about that!"

"Watch it you little shit!" Max flinched at the boy's tone and looked up. The older boy had a scowl on his face. "Next time try using those nerdy glasses of yours to not run around like blind Tauros!"

Max took a step back, feeling intimidated by the mean boy. "I said I was sorry..."

"Max!" He turned around to see May running towards him, with their friends not too ar behind. May looked at the boy. "I'm sorry about my brother. He can be a little impatient."

"And a blind idiot as well," the boy rudely said. Everyone gasped at the rude remark. May growled. "Hey, what's the big idea?"

Brock suddenly stepped up, anger plastered all over his face. "Damian," he scowled. Everyone but Misty looked at him in confusion. "Brock you know this fool?" Drew asked.

"Of course," Misty growled. "We know him very well and what kind of scumbag he is."

Damian raised an eyebrow at the two. "And you are?"

"Charmander," was all the two said. Damian's eyes widened and a smirk formed on his face. "No way, it's you losers. Ho ho man! How's it going?"

"It was all good until we ran into you," Misty said through gritted teeth. Everyone else looked at them in confusion. "Brock, Misty, what's the deal with this guy?" Leaf asked.

Brock turned to her and sighed. "Guys, you know how Ash's Charizard had a trainer who abandoned it? Meet Charizard's former trainer, Damian."

Everyone gasped. "No way, you're that asshole who left Charmander to die?" Gary growled, walking up to him.

Damian smirked. "Yeah, what about it?" Gary looked ready to punch the guy by the way he was balling his fists. Before he could, Dawn grabbed him and held him back, shaking her head. She couldn't believe what she was hearing though. She thought Paul was bad enough, but Damian took it to a whole different level.

"So, are you in the tournament as well?" Damian asked. "Pfft! How pathetic. You losers won't even make it past the preliminaries!"

"Hey! That's not nice!" Bonnie shouted. Damian sneered at her. "Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it? Tell your weak friends?"

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Clemont exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're lucky that we're trying to be on good behavior otherwise I would've knocked you out by now!" Iris growled.

"Oh, I'm so scared! Hey no eyes and red head, where's your weak ass friend at? You know, the one with the Pikachu and Charmander?"

"Don't talk about Ash like that!" Serena shouted.

"He's much of a better trainer than you are!" Dawn added.

Damian looked ready to retort but then a voice called out. "Damian!" They all turned to see another group walking towards them. Their eyes widened, seeing some familiar faces.

"Ursula?" Dawn and Brock exclaimed.

"Shamus?!" Iris gasped.

"What are you doing here, Miette?!" Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont exclaimed.

Misty merely narrowed her eyes. "Melody and Giselle, the two biggest sluts."

Sure enough, the teenagers in Damian's group looked at them with recognition in their eyes.

"Well well well, if it isn't Dee Dee!" Ursula grinned, much to Dawn's annoyance. "What, are you here to embarass yourself again? If you are, then I'll be in the front row cheering you on!"

"Oh shut up, Ursula," Dawn groaned. Why oh why did this brat have to be here? Dawn thought the two had gotten past their differences in Sinnoh but that was not the case.

"Oh hi, Serena!" Miette exclaimed with a big smile. However, it was obvious that the smile was fake as Miette then smirked. "Still as ugly as ever I see."

"What the hell, Miette?" Serena growled. "I thought we were at least friends!"

"Friends? You must be joking! Who would want to be friends with a slut like you?!" Miette exclaimed.

"Don't talk to her that way!" Clemont stepped up. Miette smirked. "Well, I'm impressed Serena. You stopped chasing after Ash and already found someone else?"

Clemont growled but then the boy named Shamus stepped up, slinging an arm around the blue haired girl. "Back off nerd, that's my girl right there."

"Ugh, why are we even around these diseases?" Giselle asked. "I don't want to get sick!"

"Oh, don't worry. It's us that have to worry about getting sick, not you," Leaf said, with a face of disgust.

Melody then looked at Misty and smirked. "Hey Mist, where's Ash by the way? I haven't seen him in so long and I've been dying to see him again!"

Misty growled. "As if he'd want to see the likes of you."

"Alright that's enough," Drew said. "As much I despise seeing your faces right now, we're not trying to create any trouble. So if you'd be so kind to go on your way and leave us be, that would be great."

"Yo pot head, shut it!" Damian exclaimed, earning a growl from Drew. "We weren't talking to you!"

"Hey, don't talk to him like that!" May growled. "Why? Your boyfriend so precious to you?" May and Drew's faces both turned a deep shade of red. "WE'RE NOT DATING!" the two yelled out.

Damian laughed. "Wow, I never thought Ketchum would be the one to have even more pathetic friends than him!" His group snickered from that comment.

"Stop talking about him like that," Gary growled. "If you don't shut up within the next second, I swear to Arceus I'm going to send you packing to the nearest hospital around here!"

"Ketchum was always weak!" a new voice shouted out. Another boy strode over to Damian's group and stood there, smirking at Ash's friends. "I found that out when I destroyed him in a battle back in Kalos!"

Serena gasped. "Calem?! What are you doing here?!"

Calem smirked. "Hey babe, nice to see you here. What are you doing hanging out with these losers?"

"Oh shut up already!" Misty exclaimed. "I don't even know why we're wasting our time here! Let's go guys!"

Calem's smirk only grew wider. "Yeah that's right. Run away like Ketchum did." Immediatly the group stopped and turned around, anger all over their faces at Calem's words. Gary walked up to Calem and grabbed him by the shirt collar.

'What'd you say?" he hissed. Calem grinned and merely shoved Gary off him. "You heard me. Should I say it again?"

"Gary stop," Leaf said, grabbing Gary's arm and pulling him away. The boy looked absolutely livid by now. Who could blame him? He had been one of the most impacted after Ash's disappearance.

"Heh, what weaklings," Damian smirked. "You guys definitely took on after your friend."

"ASH IS NOT WEAK!" Dawn shouted. She was getting sick of hearing all this bad talk about her best friend.

"If he's not weak, then why did he run away?" Calem said smugly. Dawn opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She looked at her friends and saw the same expressions on their faces. It seemed no one had an answer to that.

"Heh, good one Calem," Damian snickered. "Let's go guys. I don't want to be seen hanging around these pathetic losers." With that, Damian and his group gave one last smug look to Ash's friends and turned around, walking off victoriously.

Everyone was in silence, angered by the other group's words. The girls had sad looks on their faces. Well, except for Misty and Iris who looked ready to rip someone's head off.

"I can't believe them!" Gary shouted. "Who do they think they are, calling out Ash like that?!"

"Some people are unfortunately like that in this world," Brock said. Leaf shook her head. "If I ever see those assholes again, I swear I'm going to teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"

Serena sighed. "I just wish Ash was here with us. He'd always know how to move on."

"Then let's just do that!" Everyone looked at Dawn confused. "Ash was never one to keep thinking about stuff like this. So let's do the same thing. Let's just forget Damian and his cronies spoiled our mood and move on with what we were doing before! After all, Ash wouldn't want us to keep moping around right?"

Everyone was shocked. They knew it was in Dawn's nature not to give up but the way she was saying this was impressive.

"You're right," Misty sighed. "Let's just forget this ever happened and head to the stadium. The tournament is starting soon and we need to be fast if we want the good seats."

Max immediatly brightened up. "Awesome! Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" The group agreed and followed the enthusiastic boy.

In all the chaos, the group had failed to notice the red capped boy with a sullen Pikachu on his shoulder standing a few feet behind them lower his cap in sadness and walk off in the opposite direction.

 **-xXx-**

"It's almost time," Lance said as he looked at the time. He and the rest of the league members were seated in a private room where they would be able to watch the tournament.

Cynthia looked at him. "Are you excited?" Lance nodded. "Very. It's been a while since I've been thrown into a heated fight. And I know for sure that starting today, I'm going to be fighting some of the toughest battles of my life. If that doesn't bring me excitement, I don't know what will."

Cynthia laughed. "I agree. Though, I hope the two of us can battle again. The last time we fought was probably the best battle I've had."

Lance smirked at her. "We'll just have to see, won't we?" While everyone was talking, Goodshow looked over at Scott. "Is everything ready?"

Scott nodded. "Yup. We've got the security stationed everywhere, all the participants listed and matched up and the field is ready for use. We're all set to go."

"Good, then there is nothing to worry about," Goodshow said. He looked out the window, seeing the overview of the large stadium with many people coming in and sitting down. "Once everybody is seated, then we can start it off."

"I've been waiting a long time for this," Scott grinned as he looked at the crowd outside. He turned to the screen and looked at the time, which was counting down.

"LET THE TOURNAMENT BEGIN!"

 **-xXx-**

 **Whoa, another chapter already?! Yes, I really loved how this turned out, especially with Gary and Leaf's battle, which is the best battle I've written to date. Hope you guys enjoyed seeing more Ash again because shit finally goes down next chapter with the tournament starting! I'll start writing the chapter and hopefully finish it so I don't keep you all waiting. Until next time!**


	4. Don't Call it a Comeback!

**The Challenger Returns**

 **All right guys, the tournament finally starts this chapter! I know this is the moment all of you have been waiting for, so I give you this badass chapter! Why badass? You'll find out!**

 **BTW I'm too lazy to list the OC information thing. If you want to have your OC, go back to the older chapters and read the information you need to include in your reviews. Without further ado, enjoy!**

 **-xXx-**

Full Summary: A loss can sometimes change a person. After Ash Ketchum mysteriously disappeared without a trace, his friends and family were left absolutely devastated. 3 years later, a tournament is being held in the exotic Dahara City, located in the faraway lands of the Kalos Region. Serving as the world's biggest event ever, trainers of all kind will be pit against each other in a battle for the best. Only the strongest of the strong can survive and go through the grueling journey. At first, entering the tournament seemed fun and worth a try, but when the missing trainer from Pallet Town returns to claim his place as the Pokemon Master, everyone has their mind set on finding their long lost friend. However, the Ash they once knew has completely changed and no one knows why. Along with old feelings resurfaced, ambitious rivals, and a dark plot endangering the lives of many, Ash and his friends are in for the toughest battles of their lives...

Normal Talk

 _Thoughts/Letters/Announcements/Flashbacks_

 **Pokemon talking**

 _ **Talking through aura/psychic ability**_

 **-xXx-**

~[Chapter 4: Don't Call it a Comeback!]~

 **-Master League Stadium-**  
 **-Heaven's Summit, Champion's Plateau-**

"LET THE TOURNAMENT BEGIN!"

Those were the words of league member Scott as he stood beside president Charles Goodshow of the Pokemon League, along with the regional Champions, for a brief introduction and to announce the start of the Master League.

Goodshow was the first to speak. "Welcome, everyone! You may all know me but allow me to still introduce myself! My name is Charles Goodshow and I am the president of the Pokemon League! Along with that, it is my absolute honor to welcome you all to this years Master League!" The crowd erupted into cheers at that. "As you know, this tournament has a purpose! A purpose to see who truly is worthy of becoming the world's next Pokemon Master!"

He got loud cheers from the crowd at those words. Goodshow turned to Scott and nodded at the man, letting him step up to the podium and take over. "Hello everyone! My name is Scott and I am the organizer of the many events hosted by the Pokemon League! As Goodshow said, the winner of this tournament shall take the place as the next Pokemon Master and receive a prize of 100 billion Pokedollars and the official Master League trophy! But it won't be easy! The toughest trainers will be participating along with all the regional Gym Leaders, Elite Four, Frontier Brains and even Champions to provide a tough obstacle for everyone!"

Scott took a moment to pause and take in all the cheers from the crowd. By now, the stadium had been packed and was almost entirely full. "Anyway, this will be a week long tournament, so feel free to stay in the many hotels around the city..."

 **-xXx-**

Paul made his way towards his seat in a calm demeanor. He and Reggie had gotten in the stadium at a pretty good time, giving them second row seats. That wasn't all though. Their seats also happened to be right next to the Kanto Frontier Brains Brandon and Anabel, who knew the two brothers very well. Back then, Paul would have greatly opposed the idea of being _near_ the Pyramid King, but he was over that grudge long ago.

Reggie, Brandon, and Anabel were already seated and chatting with each other casually as Paul walked over and took a seat next to his brother. He'd gone to the training grounds to squeeze in some last minute training, opting to come back when the tournament started. Needless to say, he was definitely feeling ready.

"So, have you decided on your team?" Reggie asked. Paul nodded. "Yeah. I chose the strongest Pokemon I had. They're all a different type, so we can cover our weaknesses pretty well." Reggie nodded. "Good."

Brandon then looked at the purple haired teenager. "Just remember what I've taught you. Have faith in your Pokemon's skills and never give up. Think with a calm and relaxed mind so you don't choke or make hasty decisions that may very well harm you."

Paul nodded. "I will. And you remember that if we ever battle in the tournament, you won't be the one walking away with a victory this time."

Brandon nodded, a slight smile showing on his face. "Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that."

They heard a sigh and looked at Anabel, who wore a deadpan expression. "You two, always going strong with that rivalry of your. Can you at least once sit back and relax, have fun and enjoy yourselves instead of trying to beat each other all the time?"

"Now you know that can't happen, Anabel," Brandon chuckled. "I have to look stronger than Paul and that includes challenging him head on."

"Hmph," was all the purple haired teen said. Anabel sighed and Reggie chuckled. "Well, they can do what they want but we can at leat have fun, right?"

Anabel smiled. "Right." Reggie was always the better person to befriend. She remembered the day he had challenged her back in the Battle Frontier, his enthusiastic energy never failing to impress her. It almost reminded her of...

"Oh look, it's starting!" Reggie suddenly exclaimed. She looked at the field to see Scott dramatically beginning the tournament by thrusting his arms in the air, earning a huge carnage of cheers from the crowd. She sweatdropped, knowing exactly how the man could get over excited.

Paul didn't even pay attention to the crowd, merely staring at the scoreboard, which had flashed on and was bringing up pictures of various trainers. He briefly saw someone with a red cap on the screen who looked vaguely familiar to him, but didn't press on.

 _'So it begins,'_ he thought.

 **-xXx-**

The Gym Leaders had received special treatment like every other member of the league. They each had their own luxurious room to stay in, as well as a private room for each regional leaders to watch the battles. Each private room was reserved for the regional leaders respectively, such as the Johto Gym Leaders in one room and the Sinnoh leaders in another room.

Of course, battles were not the only thing in Sabrina's mind right now. The Saffron City Gym Leader was seated on one of the comfortable chairs inside the Kanto Gym Leaders room with the rest of the Gym Leaders. She usually wasn't the social one, but then again she'd known Misty very well and had become good friends with her.

The Cerulean Gym Leader was seated right next to her, the two staring at the large screen anxiously. Like everyone else in the room, the two didn't know who would be going out first and the thought was literally killing them.

"Gen ge gar!" the purple Ghost type Pokemon next to her exclaimed, pointing at the screen. Normally, a person who understand their Pokemon by their body language and hand signals, but that was not the case for Sabrina. She was an expert Psychic who had the power to communicate with Pokemon directly through her psychic abilities. Not only that, but she also implemented these skills in battle, making her Kanto's second toughest Gym Leader being only behind the mysterious Giovanni of Viridian City.

 _ **"You're asking if he'll be here?"**_ Sabrina telepathically asked. Gengar nodded. _**"Don't worry, he is here. I know it. I wish I could tell you how is he, but you know why I can't."**_ Gengar sadly nodded. Sabrina had used her powers to see whether or not Gengar's former trainer would be here, to which she had found out that he would be. The problem was that for some reason, her powers couldn't work and tell her how the trainer was doing or what shape was he in.

Sabrina noticed the Ghost type's expression and smiled. _**"You'll see him again, I promise. And you know I never go back on my word."**_ Gengar brightened up at this and happily nodded.

"Hey, it's time," Misty suddenly said. Sabrina looked at her for a second, noticing how anxious the red haired trainer looked. It seemed that she was nervous about going out to battle first and the Psychic couldn't blame her.

"I know," Sabrina replied now fixing her gaze on the TV. "Whatever happens, good luck."

Misty nodded, a smile forming on her face. "You too."

 **-xXx-**

"Who would like to buy some snacks?! Have some delicious snacks to sit back and enjoy the show!"

James' shouting had gotten the attention of some people nearby. Immediatly, hands were raised high in the air, shouting for him to go over to them. James smiled as he made his way towards them, a box full of snacks strapped around his shoulders.

Jessie sighed as she looked at her partner. They had been assigned to go undercover as snack vendors to keep an eye on the security around the stadium. When they got the chance to, they would sneak around and put up Poke Ball scramblers around the tower, which basically prevented everyone who weren't part of Team Rocket from bringing out their Pokemon. This way, Team Rocket had the advantage in numbers and strength and could easily take over.

Unfortunately while the plan was amazing, it was nowhere near easy. Setting up the basics for the plan was next to impossible already, but Giovanni knew they could pull it off.

"Hey Jess, what are ya thinking about?" Meowth, who was next to her, suddenly asked. Jessie shook her head. "Nothing. It's just the whole plan I'm thinking about. I know the boss knows what he's doing and all but you do know how difficult it is to do this? What if we get caught and it's all over for us?"

"Dat won't happen at all! Da boss knows what he's doing!" Meowth exclaimed. "He would never get us into something dat bad! Besides, think about what happens if we pull this off!"

Jessie nodded, a smile forming on her face. "Oh yes, I can only imagine. We can get that promotion and a Snorlax full of money! You're right Meowth, we need to stick to the plan!"

Meowth nodded. "See, I told ya. Ya don't have ta worry about nothin!"

James then made his way over to them, a huge smile on his face as he held a stack of money in his hand. "This is already going well! We're already making this much money just out of selling these snacks! By the way, you guys want?" He held up a bag of chips.

Jessie and Meowth looked at each other and shrugged. "Why not?"

 **-xXx-**

As the introduction continued, Ash's friends made their way into the stadium. They were absolutely astounded by the sheer size of the crowd and went into a row to find their seats.

"Aw man, we didn't get the front!" Max whined. "I told you guys we should have hurried up!"

"Max, it's okay. This view is good enough! Besides, it's not far from the front!" May explained. Max pouted but didn't say a word.

"Well, this a surprise!" a new voice called out. The group turned around to see a green haired man in a fancy outfit casually walking towards them, with two other females behind.

Iris gasped. "Cilan?! What are you doing here?!" Cilan chuckled. "You didn't forget that I was a Gym Leader too, right? Me and my brothers are competing in the tournament like everyone else is!"

"Don't forget about me!" the female behind Cilan exclaimed. "I'll make sure to wipe your entire Dragon team out, Iris!"

"You wish, Georgia!" Iris growled. "That's exactly what happened last time we battled!" Georgia scowled and immediatly the two were at each other's throats, causing everyone to sweatdrop.

"Arceus, they're so annoying!" the purple haired woman next to Cilan exclaimed. "I thought they would have gotten over their stupid rivalry by now, but that's not the case!"

"Now now, Burgundy," Cilan chastised. "No need to add extra spice to the flavor. We don't want a fire to start, do we?" Burgundy just shook her head.

"So, you guys are competing too," Dawn said. Burgundy shook her head. "Not me. I didn't feel the need to take part in this silly tournament."

Just then, Tracey walked up to the group, looking around. "Hey guys. Where's Misty?"

"She went to go meet up with the other Gym Leaders," Brock said. "I chose not too since we had a choice."

"Why, you miss her?" Gary smirked. Tracey immediatly turned red. "N-no, of course not! I was just asking since I'm her f-friend and all!"

Gary snickered, but was forced to stop when Dawn gave him a look that said, "Cut it." They all then took their seats, which were rather comfortable and held a nice view of the field below. A large screen sat on top of a tower on the other side of the field, showing the scoreboard.

"I can't wait until the battles start!" Bonnie exclaimed. "It'll be fun seeing you guys out there, giving it your all! And the best part is that I'll be in it too!" Bonnie had become a trainer last year, but that was all she needed. The girl had placed Top Sixteen in the Kalos League, and Top 8 in the Hoenn League and for her age, that was very well an amazing feat, thus granting her entry in the Master League.

Clemont chuckled. "I can't wait too. You'll do great out there, Bonnie just like everyone else."

"Yeah, half of us aren't even trainers but we still can't wait!" Serena exclaimed. Though she wasn't much of a battler, she had caught some more Pokemon and with all the training she had done over the past few months, she personally felt ready to go out and win it.

Leaf nudged Gary by the arm. "Bet you're excited huh? You're already jumping up and down like a little kid!"

Gary grinned. "Hell yeah I am! Do you know how much I've trained for this? Ever since I refocused my dream to become a Pokemon Master, nothing can beat training and battling in my agenda anymore! I am so ready to win this!"

"I'm sure you are," Leaf smiled. "But don't get too ahead of yourself just because you beat me in a battle."

Gary chuckled, not noticing the jealous look Dawn was giving them. The bluenette couldn't help it. Gary was her boyfriend, yet he was spending more time getting close to Leaf than her. Dawn shook her head in an irritated fashion. _'God damnit, why am I always thinking that way? Those two are just childhood friends, it's okay for them to do that! Wait, I shouldn't be getting jealous at all! Come on Dawn, you're better than this!'_

May noticed her friend's and expression and nudged her by the arm. "Dawn, are you okay? You looked pissed off right now."

Dawn shook her head. "I'm fine May. I'm just nervous about going first." She slightly looked back at Gary and Leaf, though it didn't go unnoticed by her friend.

"Wait a second, I know that look. Are you jealous" May asked. Dawn's face went red. "W-what, of course not! Why would you think that?!"

"Don't lie to me! Come on Dawn, I'm your friend, you don't have to worry about anything!" May slyly said.

Dawn sighed, annoyance clear in her tone. "I'm not jealous, May. Besides, don't you have your own relationship to worry about?"

May's smirk vanished instantly. "What do you mean?" This time it was Dawn's turn to smirk. "You know who I mean. His name rhymes with Mew."

"I. Don't. Like. Him," May seethed, much to Dawn's satisfaction. Before she could press on, Drew tapped May's shoulder, making her snap her head in his direction. "What?!"

"Whoa, take it easy Primeape!" Drew joked, adding on to the brunette's anger. "I was just telling you that Max is trying to get your attention!" May looked over at her younger brother, whose was red from laughing so hard.

"Max, what do you want?" May groaned. Max pointed to the field. "Their starting the match. Look!"

May followed her brother's gaze and indeed saw that the screen was now shuffling the faces of the participants, getting ready to select the first two. Her anger was immediatly replaced by nervousness and excitement. Finally, the moment they were waiting for.

"Hey, it's starting!" Brock exclaimed, getting the group's attention. They all looked at the screen, the same excitement coursing through their bodies. The shuffling continued for another minute before stopping on two familiar faces. The first one sent anger through the group's bodies, as it was none other than Calem, the same boy who had spoken so rudely of Ash. However, no one was as mad as Serena, who was sending furious looks at the screen.

The second person however seemed very familiar, though the group couldn't recognize him. It was a boy whose eyes were hidden by the brim of his red cap that he wore. However, the messy raven hair was what caught the group's attention as there was only one person they knew who had that hair.

 _'Can it be...'_ Gary thought as his eyes slightly widened.

The announcer's voice suddenly interupted their thoughts. "AND NOW, BATTLING ON OUR BASIC FIELD ARE TWO VERY STRONG TRAINERS WHO HAVE SHOWN A PROUD LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND BROUGHT THEM HERE TO THE MASTER LEAGUE! BOTH AREVERY DETERMINED TO WIN AND WILL NOT HOLD BACK AT ALL! PLEASE GIVE IT UP FOR OUR TWO TRAINERS!" The crowd cheered as the two trainers who were competing began to walk towards the field with confidence. "FROM THE BLUE CORNER, WE HAVE CALEM XAVIER FROM VANIVILLE TOWN IN THE KALOS REGION! AND ON THE RED CORNER, WE HAVE ASH KETCHUM FROM PALLET TOWN IN THE KANTO REGION!"

The crowd's cheers were extremely loud, but not as loud as one particular group of teenagers.

"WHAT?!"

 **-xXx-**

"WHAT?!" The Kanto Gym Leaders all shouted, the loudest being Misty. Sabrina merely smirked and closed her eyes. _**"I told you."**_

"Gen gen gar!" Gengar happily exclaimed. The Ghost type eyed its trainer on the screen with nothing but happiness.

"Ash? Is that Ash?!" Misty was practically shouting. "Oh my God, it is him! Oh thank you Arceus!" Out of all the Gym Leaders, Misty was the most happy. Who could blame her? She was the trainer's first travelling companion after all.

Sabrina then frowned. Although she was happy to see the trainer who had given her emotions back, she could tell something was wrong. For some reason, she wasn't getting the same feeling from Ash again. It seemed...different.

"Ash, I hope it is you," Sabrina muttered.

 **-xXx-**

Paul was immediatly on his feet. As soon as he had seen the trainer walk onto the field, he had a hunch that it was him. His suspicions were confirmed when the announcer said the trainer's name.

"Whoa!" Reggie, Brandon and Anabel had all stood up in shock, staring at Ash, who had calmly made his way to the field. "Is that really him?"

"It appears so," Brandon said, crossing his arms. "There's only one trainer I know who wears an official league hat and has a Pikachu on his shoulder. It actually is him."

"After all these years," Anabel said with a smile as she looked at the raven haired trainer. "He's finally back."

Reggie glanced at his brother, who was staring at the trainer intently. "Paul, are you okay?"

At first, Paul didn't answer. Then, his face slowly formed into a smirk. "Nothing, Reggie. It's just that I'm thinking about that rematch we're going to get later on."

 **-xXx-**

"WHAT?!"

"It's da twerp!" Meowth exclaimed. The cat was in pure shock, along with Jessie and James. Seeing the trainer they kept trying to pursue and steal Pokemon from had mysteriously disappeared 3 years ago, and now was taking part in the largest tournament in history out of nowhere.

The three looked at each other, then simultaneously shouted, "GO TWERP!"

 **-xXx-**

"Bulba?!"

Bulbasaur's surprised cry was followed by excited shouts from the Pokemon behind it. The Grass type was pushed away as Bayleef, Scraggy, Noivern, Oshawott, Muk and the thirty Tauros all crowded into one spot and shouted at the screen happily. Even Snorlax, who had been lazing around had immediatly snapped its head up and was now sitting up and staring at the screen intently.

The Pokemon had been watching the tournament from the large TV that was outside the wall on the laboratory. Professor Oak's aides were in the lab, watching over the Pokemon while the professor and Tracey were away. By now, the Pokemon had all loved battling and watched every big tournament or any event on TV, and the sudden appearance of their trainer had caught everyone's interest now.

Bulbasaur tried to push past the now large crowd, but it got nowhere and sighed, propping itself on the ground. It then felt someone stand next to it and looked at Infernape, who smiled down at it. The Sinnoh fire starter then used its strength to shove past the crowd of Pokemon, earning angry shouts that were countered by an intense glare that made them back off. After all, Infernape was not someone to be messed with around here.

That, and the fact that the Fire type had been saddened by the fact that Ash had not taken it with him like the others when it was now easily the strongest Pokemon at the lab with the others gone. It had earned alot of respect from everyone, including Bulbasaur, who now sat in the front next to Snivy as they watched the battle start.

 **-xXx-**

Damian stared at Ash with wide eyes like the rest of his group. They had all been rooting for Calem but seeing Ash had shocked everyone and shut them all up. The girls especially were wide eyed and staring at Ash as if he were a ghost.

Damian only smirked and shouted, "Fuck him up Calem! Show Ketchum how to be a real trainer!"

 **-xXx-**

"WHAT?!"

Everyone in the Professor's room had the same reaction as they stared wide eyed at the boy who had been called down to battle. The Regional Professors including Elm, Birch, Rowan, Juniper, Sycamore, Ivy and Oak were all shocked and happy. Along with them, Norman and Caroline Maple shared the same reaction, the Petalburg Gym Leader grinning at the boy. Only one person had a totally different feeling than the others.

"MY BABY!"

 _Wham!_

Delia Ketchum had screamed at the top of her lungs, startling everybody else in the room as the woman shot up from the couch. Even Mimey, who was happy to see the boy, had stopped its cheering to see its trainer's crazy reaction.

"Samuel, it's him! It's my boy, look! It's Ash, he's back just like you said! Samuel? Samuel?!"

Samuel Oak could unfortunately not answer his friend because he was currently lying flat unconscious on his stomach with swirls in his after being hit by Delia's crazy reaction.

 **-xXx-**

The group of teenagers were in absolute shock as they tried to comprehend what was going on. Then Gary let out a, "Holy shit!"

"It's Ash!" Iris exclaimed. "It really is him!"

"After so long," Brock smiled. "He's finally back."

"I knew he couldn't skip out on this tournament!" Tracey exclaimed.

"He's back!" Max happily shouted. "He's actually back! Thank you Jirachi!"

"Look, Clemont it's Ash!" Bonnie exclaimed. Clemont smiled. "It is him, Bonnie. It's been a while."

"It certainly has," Cilan mused. "He still looks the same as always." Burgundy snorted and shook her head. Though she was happy to see the Kanto native, she still had to scoff at Cilan's words.

"Wow, that's Ash?" Leaf gasped. "Oh my god, he's changed so much! The last time I saw him was when he was still that short, scrawny little kid with high energy!"

"Yep, that's him in the flesh and blood," Drew said. May squealed. "I can't believe he's actually back!"

"Ash," Dawn smiled to herself. She felt happier, way more happier now. Seeing the Pallet Town trainer brought so much joy to her heart. Dawn closed her eyes as tears welled up, though she forced them away. "I knew you'd come back. I knew you would."

"This is great!" Dawn turned around to see Serena smiling down at the trainer. "He's finally here!" Dawn didn't know why but something seemed off about the performer's tone. It seemed a little...flat. That was definitely wierd but before she could ask, Max suddenly let out a loud shout.

"Hey, it's starting!" Everyone then looked back at the field, eager to see their friend battle again, especially since it was against that obnoxious, egotistic Calem. Dawn stared at the trainer below on the field. _'Go get him Ash!'_

 **-xXx-**

Ash didn't know what to expect when he walked onto the field, but he didn't mind now. Especially since his first match was with someone who he long desired to destroy and humiliate. Ash had never thought bad of anyone but after what happened in Kalos, he was done being the nice guy.

Calem eyed the trainer with a smirk on his face. "Well well well, what do we have here? If it isn't Ketchum! What's up man, finally decided to man up come out of hiding?"

"... ... ... ... ... ..." Ash merely stood there, calmly waiting for the go. He wasn't in the mood for Calem's games, he just wanted to battle. Unfortunately, that didn't stop Calem from taunting him again. "Ha! Just you wait Ketchum, I'm going to destroy you just as I promised your friends!"

Ash slightly looked up at him, the brim of his cap shadowing his face. "That's right," Calem grinned. "I heard your friends talking about how much they missed you and how good of a trainer you were. What a joke. I told them you were a weakling and how I destroyed you back in Kalos. Now watch me do the same right here and humiliate you in front of the world!"

"... ... ..." Ash still didn't respond, but he did clench his fists. Calem was so asking for it. Oh well, he didn't plan on holding back at all.

"This is a three on three battle between Calem Xavier and Ash Ketchum. First person to have all three Pokemon knocked out loses," the referee, who was standing on the middle side of the field, explained. "Now for the coin toss. Choose your side."

Calem smirked. "Heads!"

"... ... ..."

The referee looked at Ash, who hadn't responded but taken the tails side, and nodded. He flipped the coin in the air and slammed it back onto his palm. "Heads! Blue corner, select your first Pokemon!"

"Go Noivern!" Calem shouted, chucking a Poke Ball. The ball opened up and revealed the winged Kalos dragon who reared its head back and roared, displaying its strong power already. He got some cheers from the crowd, who were excited to see a Dragon type already shown in battle.

"Red corner, select your Pokemon!" the referee shouted, pointing at the silent Ash. Said trainer didn't respond, but looked at Pikachu, who nodded and jumped off his shoulder and raced onto the field where it calmly stood waiting for orders. Ash didn't get as many cheers from the crowd due to sending out a Pokemon with a severe type advantage but he didn't care. He was only here to win.

 **-xXx-**

"Pikachu? Why Pikachu?" Iris asked. "I mean, I know his Pikachu is strong and all but against a Dragon type?"

"Oh quit whining!" Georgia butted in. "It's not like Dragon types are that strong anyway!" Iris immediatly got a tick mark but Cilan stopped the situation at the right time. "I'm afraid you'll have to settle your dispute for later as we're very busy right now!"

"Cilan's right," Brock said. "Don't fight right now. And besides, Ash was never really one to care about type advantages."

"I guess," Iris shrugged.

 **-xXx-**

"Battle start!" the referee shouted. Immediatly, Calem went for the offensive. "Noivern, let's just get this over with! Use Dragon Pulse and knock that rodent out!"

Noivern reared its head back and let loose a powerful purple beam of energy that sailed towards Pikachu, who calmly stood there. Then, without a word the Electric type jumped to the side at the last second, avoiding the powerful attack that crashed down on where it stood just a second ago.

"Again!" Calem exclaimed. Noivern let out another Dragon Pulse, still as strong as ever, but Pikachu didn't even seem fazed. In fact, it seemed to be smirking a little.

"Agility..." Ash's sudden sentence caught everyone off guard, even Calem, who merely watched as Pikachu disappeared in a blink of an eye and now becoming a yellow blur that raced around the field at great speed.

"Agility? Alright then. Fly after it and use Dragon Claw!" Calem exclaimed. Noivern roared and took off, flying after the yellow mouse with its claws outstretched, emitting a teal glow. However as fast as the Sound Wave Pokemon was, Pikachu was much faster as there was still a large distance between the two as they ran, or in Noivern's case, flew around the field at great speed.

"WHAT A BATTLE SO FAR! CALEM'S NOIVERN IS JUST AS STRONG AS EVER AND ASH HAS SURPRISED US ALL WITH HIS INFAMOUS PIKACHU, KNOWN TO HAVE TAKEN DOWN MANY TOUGH OPPONENTS NO OTHER TRAINERS HAVE CONQUERED BEFORE! THESE TWO SEEM TO BE PACKED WITH ENERGY AND DON'T SEEM LIKE THEY'LL BE GOING DOWN SOON FOLKS!"

Ash smirked, knowing that was exactly how Pikachu was going to be. He had trained his Pokemon so much that they had learned to prevail their worst weaknesses as well and that was no exception for his starter. Pikachu had a few tricks up its sleeve that would help it in tough battles. They wouldn't be needed here though.

"Noivern, hit it already!" Calem was beginning to grow annoyed. "Speed up with your own Agility!" Noivern shrieked as it gave a mighty flap of its wings, flying much faster than before and slowly gaining on Pikachu. The mouse noticed it catching up and tried to run faster as Calem smirked. "Got you!"

"...Iron Tail!" All of a sudden, Pikachu stopped running and jumped up, its tail coated in steel as it swung down and striking the surprised Noivern right in the face. The Dragon type Pokemon was sent slamming onto the ground after that hard impact while Pikachu landed a few feet back and stood there calmly.

"Noivern, what the hell?!" Calem shouted, apparently caught off guard by the sudden attack. Not only was it sudden, but Pikachu had struck with such speed and precision that its attack had been a direct and critical hit right off the bat, as Noivern struggled to get up all the while shaking its head.

"AND WHAT A HARD HIT WITH A SURPRISE IRON TAIL! CAN NOIVERN STILL FIGHT AFTER THAT ATTACK OR WILL PIKACHU EMERGE VICTORIOUS?"

Calem growled. "Oh, I'LL tell you who'll be victorious. Noivern use Dragon Rage NOW!" Noivern growled as it summoned up all of its negative energy, then released in the form of a blue and yellow flame that soared towards Pikachu. The attack looked deadly, but the Electric type was already running towards it as if it knew what to do.

"...Electro Ball!" Ash snapped his fingers and Pikachu immediatly jumped and swung its tail, unleashing a ball of electricity that flew into the Dragon Rage and created a large explosion that drew smoke onto the field. Ash snapped his fingersw again and Pikachu was off.

Calem glanced around through the smoke, trying to find his opponent. "Noivern, use Supersonic to find out where it is, then knock it away with Hyper Voice!" He had expected Noivern to heed his orders and use its hearing to track Pikachu down.

Instead, the Dragon and Flying type was sent flying back painfully as another ball of electricity crashed into its chest, doing more damage. Noivern flew back, recovering from the force of the Electro Ball as it flapped its wings repeatedly in order to remain in the air all the while wincing from the cuts and bruises it had just gotten.

Calem scowled as he saw his near exhausted Noivern weakly struggle to stay in the air. This Pikachu should not be doing this much damage to his prized Noivern, who was known to easily sweep their opponents teams. He had defeated the yellow mouse before and he would do it again.

"Noivern, power yourself up with Dragon Dance and then use Hyper Beam!" Calem shouted. He knew Dragon Dance would increase the power of the Hyper Beam, as well as raise Noivern's speed, making it tougher for Pikachu to counter it.

Noivern growled as an evil red aura surrounded its body, making its wings flap faster and stronger than before. It then reared its head back and shot the devastating orange beam from its mouth with a _Boom!_ so strong that it even recoiled back.

Pikachu crouched down as the Hyper Beam thundered toward it, not feeling the slightest intimidated. It had faced stronger attacks than this and knew very well how to get out of them.

"...Agility!" Ash exclaimed and Pikachu immediatly used its speed to jump out of the way as Hyper Beam crashed down on its former spot, ending up with a large explosion that blew a small crater on the ground with smoke rising from it. Pikachu landed on the ground and shot towards Noivern at fast speed.

Calem grit his teeth. He knew that after using Hyper Beam, Noivern could not attack and had to recharge. However, it could still dodge and with Dragon Dance boosting its speed, Calem knew what to do next. "Dodge, then follow up with Dragon Claw!"

Noivern swerved out of the way as Pikachu leaped at it, then turned around and flew towards the mouse with its teal glowing claws outstretched. Pikachu crouched down, but there was no way for the Electric type to run now as Noivern was already upon it, lashing out with its claws.

Calem smirked, feeling victory in his grasp. However, his smug expression turned to shock as Noivern was suddenly blasted back by a surprise Iron Tail attack that Pikachu had pulled off at the last second. He watched as Noivern flew back and roughly slammed onto the ground, this time not making any effort to move.

"Noivern is unable to battle! Blue corner, send out your next Pokemon!" the referee exclaimed. Calem was still shocked, seeing his unconscious Noivern having easily been beaten by a Pikachu of all Pokemon. He growled, returning the Dragon type and pulling out another Poke Ball as Pikachu ran back to Ash's side of the field, where the trainer nodded at it.

"You got lucky on that one, but this time I get serious! Blaziken, you're up!" Calem threw out another Poke Ball, this time revealing the powerful Hoenn Fire type starter who stood tall and glared at Pikachu. Its fists ignited on fire as Blaziken took a fighting stance and charged at the Electric type.

 **-xXx-**

"Whoa! Pikachu destroyed that Noivern!" Max exclaimed. "It's so strong!"

"Yeah you go Pikachu!" Bonnie cheered. The rest of the group agreed, impressed by Ash's skill already. May gasped when Calem revealed his second Pokemon. "No way, he has a Blaziken?!"

"This should be interesting," Brock nodded.

 **-xXx-**

"Blaziken, start off with Fire Blast!" Calem shouted, thrusting his palm out. Blaziken roared as it thrust both its hands forward, launching a massive star shaped fire ball at Pikachu, who merely avoided with Agility. "Flamethrower!"

"...Agility." Again, Pikachu avoided the beam of fire that crashed down on the ground, then proceed to run circles around Blaziken, who tensed up. Calem narrowed his eyes. "Not this time. Fire Spin to protect yourself, then jump up and use Flamethrower!"

Blaziken swiped its arm, summoning a veil of fire that surrounded its body, preventing Pikachu from attacking it. The mouse hissed as the embers of the fire pierced its skin, making it scurry a few feet back. The Fire type then blasted itself up and while in midair, opened its maw to unleash a stream of fire that raced towards Pikachu.

"...Agility." Ash calmly stared at Blaziken, who had now landed on the ground and was looking around for its opponent. "...Iron Tail on its feet!"

Calem gasped as Pikachu suddenly came out of nowhere in the blink of an eye, slamming its tail on the side of Blaziken's foot, tripping it and making it stumble forward. It then leapt up and slammed another Iron Tail, this time onto Blaziken's side and sending the Fire type to the ground immediatly.

"Again!" Ash exclaimed. Calem narrowed his eyes. "No you don't! Fire Punch!" Just as Pikachu had leapt up with its steel coated tail, Blaziken had shot up and slammed its flame coated fist onto the surprised Electric type. The uppercut sent Pikachu flying back in pain as Blaziken chased after it.

"Now use Hi Jump Kick!" Calem shouted. While Pikachu was still in the air, Blaziken sped up and used the momentum to jump at the Electric type and swing its right leg, aiming for a powerful kick.

"...Electro Ball." Calem's jaw dropped as Pikachu twirled around, swinging its tail and unleashing the electrified sphere that slammed into the unsuspecting Blaziken, halting it midair while it roared in pain before falling back to the ground while the mouse landed unharmed.

"Blaziken, get up and use Blaze Kick fast!" Calem shouted eagerly. Ash shook his head and held up his hand. "Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's fur bristled with electricity as Blaziken weakly struggled to stand up. It was immediatly then shocked to the core by the powerful Electric attack, making it roar in paina as it was pinned to the ground and forced to take the pain.

A big explosion followed afterwards as smoke then covered the battered and burned Blaziken while Pikachu yawned, feeling bored from the battle. Calem watched intently as the smoke cleared, revealing Blaziken on the ground unmoving.

The referee looked at the Pokemon and raised the flag. "Blaziken is unab-" He was cut off as Blaziken suddenly pushed itself up to its knees, surprising everyone. Even Ash and Pikachu were taken back by how strong the Pokemon was, but as Ash looked closer he could make out a faint red object tied around Blaziken's arm.

A Focus Sash. Ash sighed. No wonder Pikachu couldn't knock it out. That damn item had saved that Blaziken barely. Well actually, not quite.

"Blaziken, use Fire Blast!" Calem shouted. Before his Pokemon could even register the command, Pikachu was suddenly in front of it for a second before its powerful Volt Tackle slammed into the Fire type's stomach and sent it flying back several feet on the side of the stadium, creating another explosion.

Pikachu jumped out of the smoke, wincing slightly from the recoil as it made its way back to its side of the field. Blaziken however was not so lucky and this time was knocked out.

Calem growled as he returned his fallen Blaziken and picked up his last Poke Ball. "Damn you Ketchum. I underestimated you here." Ash didn't even respond, much to the Kalos trainer's frustration. "Don't wanna talk huh? Well this Pokemon will give you a run for your money! Chesnaught, destroy that Pikachu!"

Calem's main Grass type starter appeared on the field with a loud thud and glared at the unfazed Pikachu. It beat its chest and snarled, ready to demolish this rodent.

"Chesnaught, start off with Leaf Storm!" Calem exclaimed. He had full confidence this time, as Chesnaught was his most powerful Pokemon and the same one who had been the one to defeat Ash back in Kalos. Chesnaught reared back and brought its arms forward, blasting a cyclone of leaves at its opponent.

"...Electro Ball," Ash said. Pikachu spun around and blasted the electric attack at the Leaf Storm, both colliding and cancelling each other out. Calem glared at Ash, knowing he wasn't going to hold back at all now.

"Hammer Arm!"

"Iron Tail."

The two Pokemon let out loud battle cries as they charged at each other, both fist and tail glowing white as they swung and collided with each other. Pikachu pushed with all its strength, but Chesnaught seemed to have more power as the Electric type was launched back while Chesnaught charged at it at Calem's order to use another Hammer Arm.

At the last second, Pikachu managed to roll out of the way as Chesnaught's fists came crashing down on its previous spot, creating a large crater. The Electric type turned around, only to see Chesnaught charging it again. Sighing in annoyance, Pikachu turned around and dashed off with Chesnaught trailing behind, eager to pound the yellow mouse unconscious.

 **-xXx-**

"He's doing it," Paul muttered, watching with surprise as Pikachu managed to dodge yet another Hammer Arm. "That Pikachu is insane having taken out two strong Pokemon like that."

"But Chesnaught is Calem's trump card and it looks like Pikachu has met its match at last," Reggie said. "I wonder how Ash is going to get out of this one."

"I agree, Reggie," Anabel said. "That Chesnaught looks tough."

"But this is Ash we're talking about," Brandon spoke. "He always has a way to get out of these situations and knowing him, he's probably thinking of a plan right now."

For once, Paul agreed with the Pyramid King.

 **-xXx-**

"Wood Hammer!"

Chesnaught used its momentum to pounce in the air, rearing its arm back as it grew larger and glowed bright green. It then brought it down on Pikachu, who barely moved out of the way as it crashed down and created an earth shattering explosion that sent the mouse flying ahead.

"Pi!" Pikachu landed on its feet and turned around as it skid back. This was a tough opponent. The mouse knew how strong Calem's Chesnaught was and knew it was time to get serious.

Ash must have been thinking the same thing as he adjusted his cap and said, "Thunderbolt."

"Protect!" Calem countered. A blue barrier formed in front of Chesnaught, protecting it from the electric arrow that was sent its way. As the Protect wore off, it growled as its trainer's next command was, "Leaf Storm!"

"Electro Ball," Ash replied. Pikachu shot the electric ball at the cyclone of leaves, the two attacks connecting and cancelling each other out again. However much to the trainer's surprise, Chesnaught came charging out of the smoke and leapt at the surprised Pikachu.

"That's it, Close Combat it to the ground!" Calem eagerly exclaimed. Pikachu was forced to block the multiple punches with its tail and that too wasn't very good. The mouse let out a pained "Pika!" as it was tossed around violently and slammed into the ground.

Chesnaught raised both its arms in the air, preparing to delivering the critical blow, but Pikachu leaped up and slammed an Iron Tail into Chesnaught's face HARD, sending the Grass and Fighting type skidding back surprised.

"How? How is that thing still going?" Calem asked in a shocked tone. Ash only smirked. While Close Combat was very powerful and would have normally knocked out the Electric type by now, Pikachu was far stronger than that and one Close Combat wasn't even close to bringing it down. It was time to get his revenge on Calem.

"Grr, Hammer Arm!" Calem furiously shouted. Chesnaught roared and charged at Pikachu with its arms reared back and glowing white with the intent of pummeling the mouse.

Ash wasn't the least worried. "Iron Tail..." Pikachu jumped up with its tail coated white as Chesnaught drew closer. "...Agility!"

The crowd gasped as Pikachu suddenly soared over Chesnaught's head, spinning around and striking the Grass type in the back of its head with the strong Steel type atack. Chesnaught staggered forward holding both hands over its head with an agonized expression. That hurt alot.

Unfortunately for Calem, Ash wasn't even done yet. He ordered another Iron Tail and Pikachu was quick to deliver one to the Grass type's legs, making it trip and fall onto its back. It looked tired by now and fatigue was catching up. Calem knew he had to do something otherwise it was lights out. His eyes widened as Pikachu jumped up with another Iron Tail, preparing to deliver the final blow.

"Spiky Shield!" he suddenly called out. With the amount of strength it had recovered so far, Chesnaught managed to turn around sharply so that its spiky back was facing the incoming Pikachu. The yellow mouse crashed down with its steel coated tail, only to be blown off as it exploded and leaving Chesnaught harmless. The Electric type skidded on all fours as it glared at Chesnaught with electricity sparking in its cheeks.

"Thunderbolt!"

The order was quick and immediatly followed. Pikachu let out a bolt of electricity that soared towards Chesnaught who had just gotten up to its feet.

"Dodge it!" Calem shouted. Chesnaught sidestepped the attack as it crashed down next to it.

"Volt Tackle!" The order was sudden and caught the two off guard as Pikachu came charging at it surrounded by a veil of electricity. Calem narrowed his eyes. He knew Volt Tackle was a devastating attack and would no doubt finish off Chesnaught but he had just the thing to counter with.

"Hyper Beam!"

Chesnaught gathered up the orange orb in its hands before releasing it in the form of a large beam that sailed towards the surprised Pikachu who had no time to react before the two collided and followed up with a large explosion.

Everyone watched intently as Chesnaught panted and looked at the smoke which was now clearing up. Calem formed a smirk on his face once he saw an unmoving yellow form, knowing that Pikachu had been triumphed at last.

The referee was about to make the call when he suddenly stopped as a loud noise filled the stadium. At first everyone was confused but then realized the sound was coming from above.

Ash closed his eyes and smirked as everyone looked up in shock. "...Iron Tail." Pikachu, who was in the air, came crashing down full force on top of Chesnaught with its steel tail, immediatly knocking it down and creating a large explosion.

Everyone looked in at shock as the smoke cleared to reveal and unharmed Pikachu hop out of the crater, which was left with an unconscious Chesnaught.

Calem was slackjawed as the referee made the call. "Chesnaught is unable to battle! Calem has run out of Pokemon therefore making Ash the winner of this round!"

The crowd erupted into a mass chorus of cheers. The first battle of the tournament had already been amazing with the return of a strong trainer and a total sweep on top of that!

Pikachu looked at Chesnaught with disgust before harshly spitting down at the Pokemon and following after Ash, who had now begun to exit the stadium. Calem shakily recalled Chesnaught as he stared at Ash's retreating figure. He couldn't believe what just happened. Ash Ketchum, the same wimpy trainer he had easily crushed in Kalos had now come back and sweeped his three most powerful Pokemon with just a Pikachu. The boy had never felt so humiliated as he hung his head down and walked out of the stadium.

The cheers didn't stop as the field proceeded to fix itself.

 **-xXx-**

"W-what just happened?"

"The twerp just humiliated that other trainer, that's what happened."

"Humiliated? More like blasted off badly! I don't think I ever seen dat Pikachu look so serious and damn powerful!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth were shocked at the battle needless to say. They all quickly made a mental note to not bother the twerp for a while.

 **-xXx-**

Paul, Reggie, Brandon, and Anabel had their mouths wide open. Well, Paul had a slight smirk on his face, murmering, "I knew he was going to win."

Anabel was the first to speak up. "So, what just happened?"

"That Pikachu just destroyed that Calem guy!" Brandon said with a look of approval on his face. "Now that is one strong trainer!"

Reggie shook his head. "It's amazing how much Ash has grown. I didn't ever think I'd see him like this. What do you think Paul?"

The purple haired teenager merely smirked. "I am so looking forward to our rematch."

 **-xXx-**

Misty had always known Ash the most out of any of their friends, even Brock. She had stuck with the boy since the beginning and had come to know him as a reckless, dense, and highly enthusiastic kid who loved to battle and act childish almost everytime. All in all, the kid was a goofball back then.

So when she saw his battle right now, the Cerulean Gym Leader was left speechless. "Sabrina...what just happened?"

The psychic didn't say anything because she too didn't have an answer.

 **-xXx-**

"...What the hell just happened?"

Damian was left completely shocked. Ash Ketchum had just obliterated Calem with just one measly Pikachu that managed to take out a powerful Chesnaught, Noivern, and Blaziken while barely sustaining any damage. And here the guy was supposed to be pathetic!

"Wow..." Melody said with lovestruck eyes. "That was so hot." Giselle scoffed while everybody looked at the Orange Islands native.

"What is wrong with you?" Ursula asked. Miette and the others shook their heads. Shamus turned to Damian. "So, what do we do now?"

Damian shook his head. "To be honest, I don't even know. I'll have to ask Calem what happened and why would he let someone pathetic as Ketchum easily crush him."

 **-xXx-**

In the stands where everyone was cheering, Ash's friends were left dumstruck. After all, what they saw just now was certainly something they had never seen.

"So um, anybody wanna explain what in the name of Arceus just happened?" May asked.

"Yeah, what the hell was that?!" Drew exclaimed. "I may not be as caught up with Ash as much as you guys are, but even I know that this isn't him!"

"I agree," Cilan said. "That certainly left a spicy taste in my mouth!" Burgundy groaned and muttered something incoherent under her breath.

"After that, I guess he isn't a little kid anymore," Iris said. "I mean, look at the way he acted. He wasn't jumping around in excitement like he usually does when battling!"

"Iris is right," Clemont said. "As far as I know, Ash was always enthusiastic and pumped for a tough battle! This time he just stood there and barely even talked as he won. Even Pikachu looked bored as hell!"

Max let out the breath he was holding in. "That Pikachu was overpowered. Seriously, you guys saw how it barely even took a hit? You saw how fast it was?! It took out all three of those strong Pokemon with just a few moves!"

"Ash has done some serious training," Brock nodded. "I know he's good and all, but I don't remember him being THAT good. As in on the same level as Paul or Tobias!"

Leaf looked at them. "But what was that thing he pulled off in the end? I saw Pikachu clearly get hit by that Hyper Beam!"

"Substitute," a voice startled everybody. It was Gary who had spoken. "That was Subsitute. It was hard to see but Pikachu pulled it off at the last second and got into the air where it used the momentum to power up the force of Iron Tail so much that it was enough to knock out Chesnaught right there. Clever."

Everyone took in a moment to register Gary's words. Finally it was Dawn who spoke this time. "Substitute and Agility. I've never seen Pikachu use those moves before. Whatever Ash has done with his training, I think it's safe to say it's greatly improved." However, one thought was bugging Dawn. _'Why was he acting like that? All silent and serious? And Pikachu was also the same. I've never seen them so calm and collected like that. Ash, what happened to you?'_

Dawn looked at Serena, who looked slightly nervous for some reason. _'And what's up with her? Ever since Ash showed up, she's been acting all weird lately. And not just her crush, which I'm pretty sure she's gotten over, right?'_ Dawn couldn't help but blush when mentioning 'crush' and 'Ash' in the same sentence. She shook her head to try to clear those feelings.

"Hey guys, at least Ash won, right?!" Bonnie suddenly exclaimed. "He showed that Calem jerk!"

"You're right about that," Leaf said.

"Hey, let's see if we can meet up with Ash later on!" May exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure he'll stick around to watch the rest of the matches for today so we can meet up with him later on and see how he's doing!"

Everyone agreed to that idea and settled back in their seats just as the next match was starting. Dawn sighed, still unable to comprehend why Ash had acted so strange. Hopefully she would fine out soon.

 **-xXx-**

In an isolated area of the tower where they were alone, Ash and Pikachu continued to walk, this time with a smile on their faces. The two had enjoyed humiliating Calem like that. It had brought them so much pleasure in seeing the asshole's shocked face. After all they went through in Kalos, it finally felt good.

"...Did you have to act all pissed and spit at him like that?" Ash looked at his faithful partner.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed in his language that probably meant, "Damn right!" Ash laughed as Pikachu nuzzled his cheek while he scratched the mouse's ears. No matter what, the Electric type was loyal and would do anything for its trainer. It had been the first Pokemon to support his decision of secluding himself on Mount Silver for the past three years. As a result, it was now far stronger than any other Pikachu and brought fame to its species.

"I can't wait to use everybody else in the tournament," Ash said, smiling down at his Poke Balls which contained his ultimate team. Charizard, Greninja, Sceptile, Garchomp, and Lucario would all wreck their opponents because of their thirst for battling. Like Pikachu, they had all been trained to their full potential and possessed great power.

Ash then looked at the schedule and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "...Huh. Ritchie's in the tournament too."

"Pika!" Pikachu happily exclaimed as the sound of their old friend. Ash smiled, nodding at his partner. "...Yeah, me too. It's been a while since I saw him..Just like our friends." Pikachu sadly looked down. "...Anyway, let's go see his match." The Electric type nodded.

With that, the two trainers headed off to the stands. After a good day of revenge, the raven haired boy was looking forward to the tournament. While he greatly missed his friends and desired to see them, he knew he couldn't go back like this. Not after he ditched them like that. No, he needed to focus on the tournament because that was what he came here for.

To win.

 **-xXx-**

 **And the tournament starts off with none other than our favorite trainer kicking ass! And that too, against that dick Calem (Who else was satisfied when Calem lost?) Originally, I was going to have Ash face off against Mandi the Astounding, his first opponent back in the Indigo League, but then I decided it would be better to get revenge right off the bat and show everyone he means business. Sorry if he seemed a little OP, but it needed to happen just for this fight. And maybe the next, but then it's just the way I promised!**

 **Calem's team was based off mine in Pokemon X:**

 **Chesnaught**

 **Blaziken (Special Torchic event)**

 **Noivern**

 **Blastoise**

 **Pangoro**

 **Tyrantrum**

 **And then there's Pokemon Y:**

 **Greninja**

 **Venusaur**

 **Talonflame**

 **Tyranitar**

 **Alakazam**

 **Goodra**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll see you all next chapter!**


	5. The Second Battle

**The Challenger Returns**

 **We're back! That was a fun battle to write last chapter but there's going to be alot more to come. Also to answer some questions, Ash will not be OP as stated before. He will be OP in this one match in the second round but that's it. Everyone else he faces are tough opponents and will be normal, though better. Also, I couldn't think of a good title for this chapter. With that being said, let's get on with the story!**

 **BE SURE TO READ THE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM AS THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT YOU SHOULDN'T MISS!**

 **-xXx-**

Full Summary: A loss can sometimes change a person. After Ash Ketchum mysteriously disappeared without a trace, his friends and family were left absolutely devastated. 3 years later, a tournament is being held in the exotic Dahara City, located in the faraway lands of the Kalos Region. Serving as the world's biggest event ever, trainers of all kind will be pit against each other in a battle for the best. Only the strongest of the strong can survive and go through the grueling journey. At first, entering the tournament seemed fun and worth a try, but when the missing trainer from Pallet Town returns to claim his place as the Pokemon Master, everyone has their mind set on finding their long lost friend. However, the Ash they once knew has completely changed and no one knows why. Along with old feelings resurfaced, ambitious rivals, and a dark plot endangering the lives of many, Ash and his friends are in for the toughest battles of their lives...

Normal Talk

 _Thoughts/Letters/Announcements/Flashbacks_

 **Pokemon talking**

 _ **Talking through aura/psychic ability**_

 **-xXx-**

~[Chapter 5: The Second Battle]~

 **-Master League Stadium-**  
 **-Kalos Region-**

Ash walked through the stee door, entering the stands where it was crowded as usual. Once he came in, people began to murmur in excitement. Ash sighed. Of course, the kid with a Pikachu that beat three powerful Pokemon without even breaking a sweat would be the big talk. And here he was trying not to bring too much attention to himself.

"Hey!" Ash turned around to see a girl his age walking towards him with a big smile on her face. She was definitely not familiar and had a snobbish aura around her.

"I saw your match and let me just say that was the greatest thing ever!" the girl exclaimed. "I'm Brittany and I'm a fan of you, Ash!"

Ash nodded, choosing to stay silent and not say anything. Pikachu mimicked his trainer's expression, knowing what situation they had backed themselves into.

The girl's smile didn't waver as she took a step closer. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime. You're really cute and I'm looking for a boyfriend."

Ash mentally facepalmed but didn't show it, instead opting to shake his head and offer her a kind smile. "...No thanks...I'm not really into that." He then turned around and began to walk down the stands, leaving Brittany shocked before her face twisted into a scowl. She marched up to him and grabbed his arm, glaring at him.

"Listen here. I'm the daughter of one of the richest businessmen in Kalos and I always get what I want. So unless you want trouble, you are going on a date with me, got it? Otherwise, I'll do something that will make you regret not going out with me."

Ash and Pikachu both seemed shocked at the girl's rudeness before he scowled and sharply escaped her grasp. Who did this bitch think she was anyway? Brittany scowled and took a step closer but Ash then gave her a menacing glare that made her stop. She then looked at Pikachu, who had a scowl on its face and cheeks sparking dangerously, knowing that she had to back off. Something told her the boy wouldn't hesitate to attack so she turned around briskly and walked away.

Ash shook his head and turned back. _'Filthy rich assholes.'_ He then made his way to the railing, which held a great view of the stadium. The large TV was now showing the faces of his friend Ritchie and some other girl who he never saw before. Ash felt a smirk tugging on his lips when he looked down and saw his old rival entering the field with the Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Pika!"

Ash smiled. "Okay Ritchie...let's see what you got."

 **-xXx-**

"THE NEXT MATCH IS BETWEEN RITCHIE HIROSHI OF KANTO AND AZURE IYUNA OF HOENN!"

The referee looked at the two opponents and nodded. "This will be a three on three match. First person to have all three Pokemon knocked out loses and is eliminated from the tournament! Select your side for the toss up!"

Ritchie fixed on a determined face. "Tails!" The girl named Azure copied his expression. "Heads!"

The referee flipped the coin in the air, catching it with his outstretched palm and looking at it. "Tails wins! Blue corner, select your first Pokemon!"

"Rose, let's do this!" Ritchie threw a Poke Ball forward, opening up to reveal a black feathered bird with red and white markings on its body.

"Lowww!" the Swellow shrieked, stretching out its wings as it took flight. Rose hovered in the air and calmly looked at its opponent.

"Go Ludicolo!" Azure threw out her Poke Ball, revealing the Carefree Pokemon as it danced around with a joyful expression on its face.

"Battle start!" the referee threw his hands out and blew the whistle.

"Rose use Air Slash!" Ritchie shouted, immediatly going for the offensive. Rose shrieked as it dove down and swiped its wing, releasing a blade of wind that sliced down towards the Grass and Water type. Ludicolo had no time to react as the attack struck head on, earning a painful grunt as it stumbled back and shaking its head.

"Ludicolo, use Ice Beam!" Azure shouted. Ludicolo opened its mouth as a ball of ice began to form before being released as a beam that shot towards the Swellow at great speed.

"Dodge it with Agility, then get in close with Quick Attack!" Ritchie exclaimed. Rose let out a shriek as it swerved out of the way, then flew down at Ludicolo, who was unable to dodge, striking it on the side as it left a white trail behind. Ludicolo staggered to its side and turned around, trying to hit its opponent with Ice Beam but the Swellow was too fast as it circled around and came back quickly, striking it on the side and sending the Carefree Pokemon staggering.

"Quick, use Aerial Ace!" Ritchie exclaimed. Rose nodded and flew towards Ludicolo with its beak glowing white, gathering up as much aerial energy as it could.

However, Azure was ready this time and quickly shouted out an order. "Water Pulse!" Ludicolo threw its palms forward, releasing a ball of water that was too fast for Rose to react. The Swellow let out a pained shriek as the water crashed into it, drenching its magnificent feathers and sending it faltering a little.

"Now hit it with Ice Beam!"

"Quick, dodge it Rose!"

Rose looked up to see the beam of ice shooting towards her like a rocket and she barely managed to avoid it by swerving out of the way with Agility. As Rose took off in the air, it was momentarily shot down by a surprise Ice Beam from nowhere, letting out a surprised shriek as it plummeted towards the ground.

Ritchie's eyes widened seeing his Swellow rocketing to the ground insanely fast and knew that would hurt alot. "Pull up, pull up!" The Swellow heard its trainer's order and used its strength to flap its wings, barely staying above the ground as the bird flew across the field at high speeds. "Yes! Now hit it with Aerial Ace!"

"Ludicolo, Water Pulse!" Azure exclaimed. Ritchie smirked. "Not this time! Rose, go up and use Double Team! Circle around!" The Swellow let out an affirmative call as it changed its direction by suddenly flying up and avoiding the water orb that crashed down, splitting into multiple copies that immediatly began to fly in a circular motion around the now confused Ludicolo.

Azure gasped, seeing now that she was in trouble. "Ludicolo, take out the copies with Blizzard!"

Ludicolo complied, opening its mouth as a wide gust of snow suddenly flew out and up towards the copies. The Blizzard was effective, taking out multiple copies in an instant as the snow crashed into them and continued up where the rest of the copies were.

Ritchie smirked. "Nice try but it won't work here! Rose, take that Blizzard out with Heat Wave, then use Double Team again!" The Swellow all let out an affirmative shriek as they flapped their wings, creating a red gust of wind that cut threw the Blizzard, melting it easily and saving the rest of the copies. Rose then split into even more copies, now having the number from before as they circled around the anxious Ludicolo. "Good, now Air Cycle!"

Azure wore a confused expression on her face. "Air Cycle? What's that?" Ritchie only smirked. "You'll see. Initiate formation NOW!"

The Swellow copies all let out affirmative shrieks as they began to circle Ludicolo faster, flapping their wings so quickly that a strong current of wind was picked up. Unfortunately, Ludicolo was in the center of that strong wind, so it was lifted in the air and tossed around violently as the wind began to create a small tornado that did continuous damage to the unfortunate Carefree Pokemon.

Not only that, but the Swellow all let out Air Slashes that seemed to strike Ludicolo from everywhere, making it shout in pain while being tossed around like a rag doll. Azure had to grab on to her long hair to prevent it from being blown by the heavy wind.

"LUUU!" Ludicolo was suddenly thrown out of the tornado just as it started to die out. The Carefree Pokemon landed on the ground with a _THUD!_ that seemed to resonate throughout the entire stadium.

The referee looked at the Pokemon, which no had swirls in its eyes and raised the blue flag. "Ludicolo is unable to battle! Red corner, send out your next Pokemon!"

Azure bit her lip as she returned Ludicolo to its Poke Ball. "You did great, Ludicolo. I'm sorry I had to put you through that pain." She then took out another Poke Ball, enlarging it before throwing it in the air. "Flygon, let's go!"

The ball opened up to reveal the green, insect like Pokemon which gave a mighty flap of its wings as it hovered above the ground. It fixed Rose with a harsh glare and let out a growl.

Ritchie was the first to call out an order. "Rose, Hurricane Storm!" Rose, who was still with its Swellow copies, started flapping its wings incredibly fast to which the copies well... _copied._

Pretty soon, harsh winds were pushing Flygon back painfully as it struggled to remain in one spot by rapidly flapping its wings. "Flygon, don't worry about the wind. We can get rid of it with Sandstorm!"

"Gon!" Flygon began to summon its own wind of sand by flapping its wings, the Hurricane Storm only helping to boost its power as suddenly the entire field was shrouded in a powerful sandstorm that made it impossible to see.

Ritchie scowled as he covered his face with his arm. The Hurricane combo had helped create a powerful sandstorm that made it completely impossible to see his opponent, shielding even its silhouette and proving to be a danger. What made it worse was that all the copies had been taken down as a result of being buffeted by the sand. He had to stop it now. "Rose, Defog!"

The Swellow flapped its wings, sending out multiple blue blades that slashed through the sandy winds, making the sandstorm die out and see their opponent who was now flying towards them. "Dragon Pulse!"

Before Ritchie could react, Flygon opened its mouth and released a purple beam of draconian energy that slammed into Rose at close range. The bird was immediatly shot down, kicking up dust while Flygon hovered closeby.

"Rose, can you still fight?" Ritchie asked. Sparky looked on next to him with worry. Rose weakly got up and nodded at Ritchie, craning its neck as it took off back in the sky. "Alright, let's get them with Air Slash!"

"Dragon Claw!" Azure immediatly countered. Flygon's purple claws immediatly canceled out the attack, only leaving it open for another one as the Swellow blazed towards it.

"Get it with Aerial Ace!" Ritchie shouted.

"Flygon, dodge it and chase after it!" Flygon nodded as it swerved to the left before Rose could hit it, then proceeded to fly after it with its claws outstretched.

Ritchie frowned. "Rose, get away with Agility!" Rose shrieked and sped up, increasing a gap between the Swellow and the Flygon. The latter scowled as it tried to catch up but to no avail. Azure narrowed her eyes. "Flygon, use Dragon Pulse!" A beam of draconian energy was released from Flygon's mouth and shot towards the fleeing Swellow.

However, Ritchie was ready for that. "Rose, counter with Air Slash!" Rose briefly turned around, swiping its wing as a blade of aerial energy was released and collided with the incoming Dragon Pulse, both attacks canceling out. "Now, use Steel Wing!"

Azure watched as Rose twisted around and raced towards her Flygon with its steel coated wings. "Thunder Punch!"

Ritchie's eyes widened. "What?! Dodge it!"

Flygon's fist crackled with electricity as it flew towards Rose at great speed. Before the bird could react, Flygon's electrified fist made contact with the Swellow's stomach, zapping it right there and taking it out of the fight.

Rose weakly fell to the ground and didn't get back up this time. "Swellow is unable to battle! Blue corner, send out your next Pokemon!"

Ritchie sighed as he returned Rose to its Poke Ball. "Thank you for putting it all in there, Rose. You take a nice long rest while I win this for you. Go, Zippo!"

The Poke Ball opened to reveal the Charizard who roared upon being released. Judging by its size, it appeared to be very powerful as it sized up its opponent.

"This should be fun. Flygon, use Ancient Power!" Azure exclaimed throwing out her hand. Flygon concentrated its energy as rocks suddenly levitated from the ground, surrounded in a purple glow as they were promptly chucked at the opposing Charizard.

Ritchie chuckled. "Smart, but a couple of flying rocks aren't going to stop us. Zippo, use Metal Claw!" Zippo took off, flying towards the rocks with its claws coated in steel. With a steady pace, the Fire type slashed each rock with its claws, breaking them apart in one hit.

The process continued for a few more seconds before Zippo had slashed through all the rocks and its trainer had shouted out the command, "Fire Blast!"

The Charizard reared its head back and let out a large, star shaped fireball that soared across the air.

"Flygon, dodge it and use Dragon Pulse!"

Flygon flew to the right, avoiding the Fire Blast which crashed down on the ground next to it and opened its mouth, shooting out purple draconian energy at the Charizard.

"Zippo, counter with Dragon Rage!" Zippo opened its mouth and let out a harsh, draconic fire that clashed with the Dragon Pulse, both attacks circling around each other before exploding and kicking up smoke.

Ritchie took this chance to launch an attack. "Fly in there and Dragon Claw!" Zippo roared as it flew into the smoke and appeared on the other side, brandishing its teal, draconian claws as it lunged at the surprised Flygon.

Azure wasn't having it though. "Flygon, use Dragon Claw!" Flygon roared as well as it flew towards Zippo and met the Charizard in a locked on pushing contest with their claws. Both Pokemon seemed to be even in strength and glared at each other, wanting to win for their trainer.

After some more pushing and growling, Zippo managed to overcome Flygon, knocking it back then getting fatally slashed in the face by Dragon Claw. Flygon let out a pained cry as it was launched back and glared at the Charizard who was now roaring in triumph. Seeing its opponent so superior, Flygon's anger boiled.

Azure seemed to sense her Pokemon's anger, as she smirked knowing what to do now. "Dragon Dance. Get in there with Dragon Claw right after."

Flygon was surrounded by an evil, red aura as its attack and speed were powered up immensely. It then used its powered up speed to fly towards Zippo at insane speed with its claws emitting a teal glow.

"Zippo, Dragon Rage!"

Azure smirked, seeing the Charizard open its mouth as draconian flames danced around and prepared to be unleashed. Waiting for the right moment, she saw that Zippo had let out the Dragon Rage and Flygon was only a few feet away. "Now go up and use Thunder Punch!"

Ritchie's eyes widened. "What?!" Zippo seemed to share the same expression as Flygon suddenly swerved up, avoiding the Dragon Rage and smashing its electrified fist onto the Flame Pokemon's head, snapping its mouth shut.

Zippo roared in pain as Flygon flew away, satisfied with its form of attack. "Now, use Dragon Claw!"

"Not so fast!" Ritchie shouted as Zippo recovered. "Zippo, grab it!" Azure's eyes widened as Zippo's arms shot out and latched around Flygon's arms, locking the shocked Dragon and Ground type in place. Flygon struggled to break free of the Charizard's grip, but to no avail. Zippo evily smirked down at the helpless Flygon.

"Flygon, get out of there!"

"Zippo, fry that Flygon with Inferno!"

Zippo opened its mouth and let out a strong, violent fire that crashed into Flygon, enveloping it in flames while it roared in pain. The attack was so strong that Flygon was launched out of Zippo's grip and sent to the ground, kicking up dust.

Azure watched on with concern as the smoke cleared to reveal a half charred Flygon weakly stand up. It had multiple bruises on its body and seemed to be trembing as it stood up. "Flygon, can you still fight?"

Flygon looked at its trainer and nodded. Despite its state, it still had alot of fight in it. It could keep this up much longer.

Ritchie growled. "Zippo, take it to the air!" The Charizard roared and gave a mighty flap of its wings, taking off into the air where it remained waiting. As expected, Flygon flew right after, hovering a few feet away and staring its opponent down.

"Char..."

"Gon..."

The two Pokemon glowered at each other, not looking to give up anytime soon. They let out arrogant growls, challenging each other to make the first move.

"DRAGON PULSE!" Or in that case, both. Both dragons reared their heads back and blasted out the draconic energy beams from their mouths, each crashing against each other and pushing back and forth. Zippo's seemed stronger but Flygon didn't look like it was giving up soon.

The beams then exploded and the two rushed at each other, swiping with rapid Dragon Claws. Both landed strong hits but suffered a high amount of pain from the other. Flygon delivered two fatal slashes to Zippo's chest, earning roars of pain. The Charizard in return gave Flygon a mighty slash on the face.

Azure narrowed her eyes when Zippo slammed another Dragon Claw into Flygon and flew in, delivering a few more slashes to the face and chest before grabbing it by the neck and preparing a Dragon Rage in its mouth. "Thunder Punch!"

Zippo roared in pain as Flygon jammed its electric fist into the Fire type's stomach, prompting the Charizard to let go. Ritchie watched as Zippo made a desperate grab for Flygon, but the latter managed to fly away.

"Zippo, use Dragon Rage! Try to hit it while its weak!" Ritchie exclaimed. Zippo opened its mouth and let out the draconic flames that soared towards the weakened Flygon.

"Flygon, dodge it and use Ancient Power!" Azure exclaimed. "Then ground that Charizard with Thunder Punch!"

Flygon swerved out of the way as Dragon Rage grazed past, then immediaty summoned up the large boulders and chucked them at the Fire type. Zippo couldn't move in time and was bombarded by the super effective attack, letting out roars of pain each time it was struck.

"Zippo, hang in there!" Ritchie worriedly called out.

"Now!" Azure exclaimed. As the boulders stopped coming, Zippo recovered and looked aready to attack only to roar in pain as Flygon smashed Thunder Punch onto its stomach, pushing down and making the Fire type fall to the ground. The two rocketed towards the ground, Zippo unable to do anything with Flygon on top of it as they crashed down.

The two watched as Flygon hovered away slowly, panting and trying to regain its breath. Zippo was lying on its belly, unmoving. It slowly pushed itself up and growled, smoke coming out of its mouth. Azure was confused why but then saw something she never expected.

The ground beneath Flygon suddenly erupted as large flames shot out and covered the Dragon and Ground type. Azure was shocked. What just happened?

She looked at Zippo, who didn't seem as weak as she thought. The fire lizard had a smirk on its face just like Ritchie.

She looked back at Flygon, who was now breathing heavily. "Flygon, are you okay? If you can't battle, I'll return you."

Flygon shook its head. It would continue fighting for its trainer until it fell. Azure smiled. "Okay then. Dragon Pulse!"

"Zippo, use Dragon Rage!"

The two dragon attacks met in the middle, creating an explosion. "Flygon, go use Thunder Punch!" Flygon, despite its beaten state, took off towards it opponent with its fist crackling with electricity.

Zippo stood there, waiting for its opponent. Before Flygon could land the attack, Zippo stepped to the side quickly, slamming a Dragon Claw onto the dragon's back, sending it to the ground immediatly.

"Flygon is unable to battle!" the referee said, seeing the swirls in the dragon's eyes. "Red corner, send out your last Pokemon."

Azure returned Flygon, thanking it for its hard work. She looked at Ritchie and put on a determined face. "This has been a really good match so far, but don't expect an easy victory now. Let's go Arbok!"

A large, purple snake appeared out of the Poke Ball and hissed at Zippo dangerously. Zippo growled back, obviously ready to take on the challenge. The Arbok looked incredibly strong, if not her most powerful Pokemon. Looks like this would be a good fight.

"Arbok, start off with Toxic!" Azure shouted. Before Ritchie or Zippo could react, Arbok let out a purple glow as it glared at Zippo. The Charizard was surrounded in the same glow and cried out in pain.

Ritchie frowned. He hadn't counted on his Pokemon to be poisoned right off the bat. "Oh well. Zippo, use Flamethrower!"

"Arbok, use Sludge Wave!" Azure's counter proved to be very effective, as the flames were immediatly snuffed out by the purple toxic liquid that was promptly shot out of Arbok's mouth. "Now get in there with Poison Tail!"

"Dodge it!" Ritchie shouted. However, Arbok proved to be much faster than he anticipated and the snake was already in front of Zippo before it could move. Arbok lashed out with its purple glowing tail, smashing Zippo in the face and sending it stumbling back letting out a pained shout.

Zippo glowered down at Arbok and prepared to attack, but suddenly it let out a cry of pain as its body glowed purple. Zippo slumped over, the poison clearly doing more damage than it thought. "Zippo, hang in there!"

"Sludge Bomb!"

Arbok opened its mouth and let out a blast of poison that Zippo barely managed to dodge before flying towards the snake and mowing it to the ground with Dragon Claw.

"Poison Tail!" Arbok's tail shined purple as it twisted its body around, stirking the Charizard on the side and sending it flying back. Ritchie grit his teeth. This Arbok was stronger than it looked. It seemed as if he needed to pull all his punches here if he wanted to win. "Zippo, use Flamethrower!"

Azure smirked. "Dodge it and use Poison Tail again!"

Zippo let out a bright stream of flames that Arbok dodged by slithering around at a fast pace. Once it was close enough, the snake lunged at the Fire type, swinging its poison coated tail.

Ritchie smirked. "Grab it and use Rock Smash!" Azure's eyes widened in shock. Before Arbok could land its hit, Zippo reached out and grabbed the snake by the scruff of its neck, locking it in place.

Zippo gave a mighty roar as it then slammed the Poison type down on the ground hard, smashing a huge rock over its head in the process.

Azure winced. That was a brutal hit. "Arbok, can you still fight?"

"Bok!" Arbok hissed as it shakily got up. It glared at Zippo, who had a similar expression on its face until the poison did its damage again.

"Now its our turn! Zippo, hit it with a powerful Fire Punch!" Ritchie shouted. The Charizard roared as it took off with a flap of its wings, soaring towards the enemy Poison type with its fists ignited in hot fire.

Arbok wearily stared at its opponent, knowing that the Charizard was full out trying to hurt it. Azure narrowed her eyes and stood there not doing anything much to Ritchie's confusion. _'What's she doing? That Arbok is finished if she doesn't do something!'_

Zippo was now directly in front of Arbok, swinging with its fist just as Azure suddenly shouted, "Grab it with Poison Tail!"

Ritchie gasped as Arbok skillfully twisted out of harm's way, then lashed out with its tail which wrapped around the Charizard's neck and then harshly slammed it to the ground.

"RAR!" Zippo roared, thrashing around to break free. However, Arbok was one strong Pokemon and it kept its opponent immobilized on the ground without too much trouble.

"Zippo get out of there!" Ritchie shouted, while Azure smirked. "Thunder Fang, Arbok!"

Arbok opened its mouth, electricity cracking in its sharp fangs as it clamped down on the Fire type's back, who roared in pain when the electricity zapped it to the core. Ritchie grit his teeth, knowing his Pokemon was in the worst place possible right now. That Thunder Fang would surely finish Zippo off unless he did something.

"More power Arbok! Finish that Charizard off!" Azure exclaimed. Arbok in turn bit down harder, making the Charizard's pained roars louder.

Ritchie watched intently, trying to figure out what to do in a tough situation like this. _'This is risky, but it's my only shot!'_ "Zippo, Fly!"

Azure doubled over in shock as the poisoned Charizard pushed itself off the ground and took off in the air with Arbok still wrapped around it. She didn't know what Ritchie could possibly be doing, bu whatever it was it wouldn't be good. "Arbok, full power!"

Zippo roared as Arbok's bite pained it even more now. Fatigue was beginning to show in the Charizard's eyes and if this continued it would be finished.

Ritchie watched as the two were now high in the air, giving him the chance to call his attack. "Now, Flare Blitz to the ground!"

"What? That's crazy!" Azure shouted. But Zippo didn't care as it swooped down and shot towards the ground, surrounding itself, and Arbok, in flames. The two Pokemon were in pain now as they shot down and crashed onto the earth, kicking up smoke.

Zippo and Arbok glared at each other as the smoke cleared, both clearly exhausted and on the brink of fainting. One more attack would determine it all. Both their trainers realized this as they simlutaneously shouted their commands.

"Zippo, Fire Blast!"

"Arbok, Rock Slide!"

Both Pokemon roared as they powered up, ready to unleash their moves. Arbok roared as multiple rocks were summoned in the air above Zippo, and brought down raining onto the Fire type.

Zippo at the same time launched the star shaped fireball just before the rocks slammed it down one by one, kicking up a large amount of smoke. Arbok didn't have time to dodge and was struck by the Fire Blast at ful force, sending it flying back and crashing onto the ground.

Everyone watched as the smoke slowly cleared, revealing the unmoving forms of Zippo and Arbok. The two had cuts litered all over their body and their eyes were replaced by swirls.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" the referee made the call. "Since the blue corner still has one more Pokemon, the winner of this match is Ritchie Hiroshi!"

Ritchie and Sparky both let out happy shouts as the referee announced the winner. "We did it! We made it past the preliminaries!" "Pika!"

Azure sighed, returning her fallen Arbok and watched as Ritchie happily returned his unconscious Charizard, thanking it for a good fight. She made her way to the middle of the field along with her opponent, the two locking eyes and not saying anything.

Finally, Azure smiled and held out her hand. "That was a good battle. Thanks for the awesome match. You're a really strong trainer!"

"Thanks, and you too!" Ritchie exclaimed, shaking her hand. "I think that was one of my toughest battles yet and its only the first one here! I should be thanking you for the good time and letting me know how it's going to be later on in the tournament!"

"Good luck," Azure nodded. "Hopefully we can meet again some other time. I'd love to have a rematch." Ritchie nodded and she gave him a piece of paper with a wink. "Call me sometime."

She giggled at the boy's blushing face and made her way out of the stadium, waving at him one last time. Ritchie shook his head and smiled, stuffing the paper in his pocket. "Well what do you know, we got something more than a victory eh Sparky?"

"Pika!" The Pikachu couldn't agree more with its trainer.

 **-xXx-**

Ash smirked, tipping his cap down as he looked at the scene below. "Good job Ritchie...I knew you could do it."

"Pika pika chu!" Pikachu nodded in agreement. Ash smiled at his first Pokemon. "Me too. This got me pumped up already."

Ash knew that his old rival would not fail to impress him in battle. Ritchie was a good trainer like that. Even after seeing that match right now, Ash felt his blood pumping as his need to battle had activated. He hoped he could face off against Ritchie later on in the tournament.

He sighed. _'My friends are competing too. That's gonna be the hard part. Going up against them after so long is something I'm not looking forward too. As much as I want to go back, I can't. I can't let them see me like this. Not after what happened...I'm sorry Mom.'_

"Pika!" He was snapped out of his thoughts as Pikachu suddenly tugged on his collar, getting his attention. "What?"

The mouse eagerly pointed up at the board as Ash followed its gaze. His eyes widened when he saw who was next. "No way...he's here too?"

 **-xXx-**

"Wow, Ritchie has gotten alot stronger!" Brock exclaimed. He and the rest of the group had been watching the match and they were impressed nonetheless by the trainer Brock had introduced them too.

"Wow, his Charizard and Swellow were so strong!" Max exclaimed. "I so want to battle him!"

"Ritchie's no pushover, Max," Gary said. "I've seen him compete in many leagues and making it really far. He's a strong trainer I'll tell you that!"

Dawn sighed sadly. "He reminded me of Ash so much. His whole body language, his Pokemon, even the Pikachu on his shoulder!"

Everyone agreed with the coordinator's words. Ritchie was like a carbon copy of Ash and seeing the two battle right after each other was just something.

May put an arm around her. "At least we know that Ash is safe. We can find him later and ask him everything." Dawn nodded at that.

"Oh look!" Leaf exclaimed, pointing to the TV screen in the middle of the stadium. "Look whose competing next!"

Everyone looked on with interest while Gary nodded. "It's about time. Let's see how strong he really is."

 **-xXx-**

"That was a good match. That Ritchie guy had control for most of the battle and his Pokemon were really strong too."

"I agree, Reggie," Brandon said with a nod. "That certainly was a good match to watch."

Anabel looked over at Paul, noticing his silent expression. "What did you think Paul?"

"It was good," the purple haired trainer said. "That kid is strong, I'll give him that. The league wasn't kidding when they said this was for the strongest trainers only."

Reggie looked at his brother with a frown. "You aren't worried now, are you? After all that effort you've put in?"

Paul shook his head. "Not at all. I'm just saying that I'm definitely expecting a challenge here. Now if you'll excuse me..." he stood up, turning around. "...I've got a match to attend to."

They watched as Paul walked off after seeing his face on the TV screen, signalling the start of his match.

 **-xXx-**

 **This was a fun chapter to write. We got more of Ash's POV and a nice battle featuring an old anime character. And now we've got alot of hype since Paul's battle is next chapter so be on the lookout for that!**

 **Also, I'm starting a new story soon. I know it seems weird to already begin another story so soon when I've just started this one, but don't worry since this story is my main focus right now. The new story is called, "The Final Challenge" and I'll be posting the first chapter soon so be on the lookout for that. I've already written most of the story but it won't be updated as much until I'm done with this one. Anyway, that's all so take care!**


	6. An Iron Will

**The Challenger Returns**

 **Hi, I'm not dead! I know this took a lot longer to update, and I'm really sorry! I'm at the point in life where school's a bitch and college is coming up so I've been really busy lately! So on that note, updates are unfortunately going to take longer from now on but this story is far from being dead, I promise! So yeah, let's get on with the chapter!**

 **-xXx-**

Full Summary: A loss can sometimes change a person. After Ash Ketchum mysteriously disappeared without a trace, his friends and family were left absolutely devastated. 3 years later, a tournament is being held in the exotic Dahara City, located in the faraway lands of the Kalos Region. Serving as the world's biggest event ever, trainers of all kind will be pit against each other in a battle for the best. Only the strongest of the strong can survive and go through the grueling journey. At first, entering the tournament seemed fun and worth a try, but when the missing trainer from Pallet Town returns to claim his place as the Pokemon Master, everyone has their mind set on finding their long lost friend. However, the Ash they once knew has completely changed and no one knows why. Along with old feelings resurfaced, ambitious rivals, and a dark plot endangering the lives of many, Ash and his friends are in for the toughest battles of their lives...

Normal Talk

 _Thoughts/Letters/Announcements/Flashbacks_

 **Pokemon talking**

 _ **Talking through aura/psychic ability**_

 **-xXx-**

~[Chapter 6: An Iron Will]~

 **-Master League Stadium-**  
 **-Kalos Region-**

Giovanni was finally alone. He was all by himself in his room, dialing the number on his phone. Those damn Gym Leaders were such a hassle and he knew he had eyes trained on him as soon as he arrived here. It was the first time the public was seeing the Viridian Gym Leader in person, including his own fellow Gym Leaders.

"Blasted security," the man spat. He had been trying to find a place to talk to his underlings to see how the plan was going, but there were too many people and no one was allowed in their rooms during battles, so he had no way of contacting anyone. Now that he was alone in his room, he had the perfect chance.

Giovanni held the phone next to his ear and waited as it continued to ring, and then suddenly a female voice answered. "I assume you've called to see how everything's going?"

"Correct," the man answered. "Enlighten me."

He could have sworn he saw the woman smirk on the other side of the call. "Everything's going according to plan, sir. We've made it inside and are about to do an interview with that Gym Leader from Sinnoh. So far, everyone knows us as the Star News team and as for everyone else, Cassidy and Butch called earlier and said they've made it in along with the rest of the grunts. Those three buffoons are also doing their job well surprisingly."

Giovanni smirked. "Excellent. That's just what I wanted to hear. Make sure this continues on, Domino. Remember what your team has to do."

"Yes sir. Right now it isn't possible. The control room is tightly guarded until the round is over. That's when we'll strike if it's okay with you."

"Whatever it takes to get in there without being detected is fine by me," Giovanni said. "Just make sure you take over that room. We need it the most out of anything if we want to pull this off."

"Roger that," Domino answered. "I'll inform the others and we'll try to find a way in, sir."

"Good," Giovanni smiled as he spoke. He shut his phone off and sighed. They had come so far into thinking this through. It would be a shame if it all washed away and they got nothing but punishment in the end. No, they would succeed. After all, the word 'failure' was not in Giovanni's book.

"Once it's time, we'll finally leave our mark as the biggest threat in history," Giovanni spoke with cold malice before turning around and walking out of the room.

 **-xXx-**

By now, the match was getting ready to start as the group waited anxiously in their seats. Paul was up and they wanted to see how he faired against the powerful trainers here.

"I can't wait to see what kind of Pokemon he has!" Max exclaimed. "I hope his Electivire will battle again! It was so strong!" Gary grimaced at the comment, then turned away and muttered, "He got lucky."

Brock put a hand under his chin. "Let's see, if I know Paul correctly then the Pokemon he's guaranteed to use are his Electivire and his starter Torterra, being those two are his strongest. I'm not sure about the others though."

"Knowing him, he may have caught some new Pokemon," Dawn said nodding. "He is a full time trainer after all who's been travelling around the world just as long as us."

Serena looked at the screen, seeing the purple haired trainer's face. She didn't know Paul personally but she'd heard he had been one of Ash's strongest rivals, possibly even his best if it wasn't for Gary back in their old days. And after seeing Gary lose badly in a one on one against the Sinnoh native, she knew Paul was no pushover and he would get far in the tournament.

She winced as thoughts of the raven haired boy crossed her mind. _'Ash...I'm sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive after what I did.'_ She didn't want to think about that now. It brought back painful memories, ones she surely wanted to forget.

Clemont noticed her troubled expression and nudged her. "Are you okay? You're looking so down all of a sudden."

Serena smiled at the blond. Clemont always knew how to cheer someone up, whether it be good or bad. "I'm fine, Clemont. Just worried about how I'm going to do. Thanks for asking."

Clemont smiled at her. "Hey no worries, you'll do just fine. I know you will." Serena was touched by his words and this time gave him a bright smile. "Wow, thanks Clemont! That's makes me feel a whole lot better!"

Clemont smiled. "Anytime! That's what friends are for!" Serena nodded, a new feeling inside her. "Yeah...friends." She thought of Ash briefly but pushed that aside. Now was not the time.

Leaf glanced at Gary. "Who do you think is going to win?"

"Paul, obviously," Gary shrugged. "Based on what I've seen, he's one of the most impressive trainers to date and with that kind of skill, there's no way he won't make it past the preliminaries!"

Leaf nodded. "I agree. I can't wait to battle him. I'd love to see how strong he really is."

"Well, we're about to find out," Gary said, looking at the field where the announcer had finished the small introduction and the two trainers were making their way onto the field.

 **-xXx-**

Ash smirked, seeing his old rival from Sinnoh standing on the field. _'Well, shit just got interesting. Okay Paul, let's see what you've got!'_

 **-xXx-**

Paul stared at his opponent, which was a tall blue haired girl. She seemed to be staring at him intently, as if studying his every move. Paul couldn't help but feel slightly creeped out by this.

 _'Well, you get what you get,'_ Paul thought as he stood on his end of the field, holding a Poke Ball at the ready. The girl crossed her arms and didn't say a word, her eyes not wavering from Paul, who countered with his poker face.

"ON THE BLUE CORNER WE HAVE PAUL SHINJI OF SINNOH!" the announcer boomed. Several cheers were heard from the crowd at the sight of the purple haired trainer. Paul had grown quite the reputation, going around and scoring at least Top 8 in every league and even winning the Johto League last year, despite losing to Elite Four Koga. Still, it was nothing to laugh at and everyone knew Paul had especially been trainer harder than that.

"AND ON THE RED CORNER, WE HAVE MELISSA YOSHIKI OF KANTO!" The crowd cheered again, knowing exactly who the woman was. She had quite the notorious reputation as well, known to get out of even the most impossible situations.

However, Paul wasn't the slightest intimidated by his opponent. If anything, he was itching for the fight to start so he could claim his victory already.

And victory was the only option in Paul's mind.

"Trainers, send out your Pokemon!" the referee exclaimed. Both trainers immediatly threw their Poke Balls forward, each one opening in a burst of bright light.

"Magmortar, stand by for battle!"

"Exeggutor, let's do this!"

As both Pokemon took their spots, Melissa couldn't help, but sigh at Paul's choice. She knew about Paul and his Pokemon so she wasn't surprised to see his Magmortar out. She hoped that at least the purple haired trainer must have caught some new Pokemon that she wasn't expecting, but of course that was not the case.

Paul meanwhile raised an eyebrow at her reaction. _'Cocky now, are we?'_ He knew Melissa's reputation and judging by her reaction, he could tell she was expecting this. Luckily for him, this was all part of Paul's plan.

Melissa chose to make the first move. "Exeggutor, Psychic!" Exeggutor's eyes glowed blue before releasing a blast of psychic energy at Magmortar, who merely stood there calmly. Before the attack struck, a pink bubble appeared around the Fire type, protecting it from any damage.

Melissa narrowed her eyes. "Barrier, huh? Not bad but I'm afraid you're going to need to do more than that! Egg Bomb!"

Paul smirked. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Magmortar, Fire Blast." Magmortar opened up its cannons and let out a large, star shaped fire ball that soared towards Exeggutor, who made no effort to move.

"Hmph, didn't see t _hat_ coming. Exeggutor, slow it down with Psychic, then snuff it out with Leaf Storm!"

Paul eyes widened. "What?!" Sure enough, Exeggutor began to glow blue, the Fire Blast slowing down drastically as it was also surrounded in a blue light which also weakened it. It was then promptly distinguished by a barrage of sharp leaves, letting Exeggutor go unharmed.

"How is that even a thing?!" Paul exclaimed. Melissa scoffed. "You don't think rationally, do you? Exeggutor, Leaf Storm again!"

"Counter with Fire Blast."

As Exeggutor whipped its head around and let out a flurry of leaves, Magmortar at the same time opened its cannons again and shot the Fire Blast at the incoming attack. Both attacks met each other on the middle of the field and exploded, covering it up in smoke.

Paul narrowed his eyes. "Magmortar, get in there with Fire Punch! Don't hold back!"

" _MAAAGMORTAR!_ " Magmortar smashed its cannons together, igniting them in flames, and took off running into the smoke. Melissa frowned. "Zen Headbutt!"

A loud boom echoed from the smoke, revealing the two Pokemon pushing against each other as it cleared away. Magmortar had one cannon struggling to push Exeggutor's heads back which was proving to be hard as they were powered by the psychic energy. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't overpower each other.

Magmortar lifted up its other cannon and attempted to swing it at its opponent, but Melissa saw through this and yelled out, "Sludge Bomb!"

"Get out of there!" Paul exclaimed. It was futile. Magmortar had no time to pull back before Exeggutor opened its mouth and shot out a purple substance that slammed into the Blast Pokemon with such force that it was sent stumbling back.

Fortunately, the Fire type had avoided being poisoned. "Zen Headbutt!"

Unfortunately, Paul could not shout out a counter attack in time and was forced to watch as Exeggutor slammed into Magmortar with so much speed and power that it actually earned a pained shout from the Fire type as it was pushed back more.

Melissa smirked. Time to spice things up. "Use Reflect!" A glassy barrier briefly appeared in front of the three headed Pokemon. "Now use Seed Bomb!" Exeggutor stomped its feet as it unleashed a storm of seeds that sailed towards Magmortar.

"Fire Blast." Paul watched as the large star shaped fire ball released from Magmortar burn the seeds and continued to its opponent. However, it had no luck as Melissa ordered Exeggutor to use the same trick that completely snuffed out the flame before it reached.

"Hmph, you're going to have to do better than this, Shinji! Light Screen!" Another barrier briefly appeared in front of Exeguttor, buffing its defenses up even more.

Paul frowned. Melissa certainly wasn't a pushover, but she was also nowhere near an amazing trainer. While she was good, she lacked strategy and relied on pure defense instead to help her win. Unfortunately for her, Paul knew what he was doing and he planned to do it right.

"Exeggutor, Leaf Storm again!"

"Flamethrower!"

Melissa's eyes briefly widened as a large flame swept through the leaves with ease and rushed towards the Grass type. "It's a big flame. Snuff it out as always!"

Exeggutor glowed blue as Psychic surrounded the flames in a similar light, slowing them down dramatically. Melissa's smirk only grew as the Leaf Storm did the rest, slowly plowing away the Flamethrower. Fire attacks were obviously useless against her, so what was he thinking?

"Flare Blitz!" Melissa's smirk instantly vanished and was replaced with shock as Magmortar raced through the flames and charged at Exeggutor, who was still busy with trying to stop the Flamethrower. "No, dodge it!"

However, even she knew that was pointless. If Exeggutor moved, then the Flamethrower would be free of its psychic hold and hit it and if it didn't move, then Magmortar would surely get to it. Either way, this was going to hurt and she knew that.

"MOR TAR!" Magmortar crashed into Exeggutor with force, plowing it to the ground immediatly. The Blast Pokemon stumbled back from recoil, but shook its head showing it was fine.

Exeggutor on the other hand struggled onto its feet, burn marks all over its body. Flare Blitz had done a number on it and another devastating attack like this would surely be the end of it.

Melissa wasn't down to play the risky game, so she went through the next phase of the plan. "Ancient Power!"

"Avoid it and Flamethrower it again." Magmortar jumped to the side, avoiding the large rocks crashing down on the ground and let out a large wave of fire. Something like that would knock out Exeggutor but Melissa wasn't about to let that happen. "Light Screen!"

Exeggutor surrounded itself with the shield just before the flames crashed down upon it, making the Grass type flinch. Though it hadn't been fully protected from the attack, it certainly had taken much less damage than before.

"Magmortar, Fire Punch!" Melissa grinned, knowing she had him where she wanted him. "Stop it with Giga Drain!"

Magmortar was halted in its steps as it was surrounded by a green glow, similar to Exeggutor. The Fire type winced as some of its energy was sapped and returned to Exeggutor, who seemed to be smiling in delight.

Paul frowned. "Magmortar, pull yourself together!"

"Not happening! Exeggutor, Energy Ball!"

Exeggutor opened its mouth and spat out a green glowing sphere that struck Magmortar head on, making it stagger back and groan. The attack didn't hurt that much, but it was starting to get annoyed now.

"That's right, keep it back! Psychic!"

Paul scowled as Magmortar stiffened up. "Rock Tomb!"

Melissa smirked. "Sorry, not happening! Send it right back with Psychic, then add in Ancient Power!"

The crowd gasped as the rocks that were summoned by Magmortar was abruptly surrounded in blue light and hurled right back at the Fire type, along with a bunch of larger rocks that were conjured by Exeggutor. If the super effective attack hit, it would be it for Magmortar.

"Power Up Punch," Paul simply said. Magmortar raised its arms as they glowed a violent red. With precision, it began to punch all the rocks in a steady pace. Each hit smashed a rock, increasing Magmortar's strength everytime. Pretty soon, the rocks had stopped and Magmortar was standing there surrounded by red energy.

Melissa grimaced as Paul gave his order. "Flamethrower!"

A large stream of flame shot out of Magmortar's dual cannons. With the Power Up Punch coming into play, the size of the Flamethrower this time was double than before. No doubt that was lights out for Exeggutor.

"Return!" Just before the flames crashed down on where the Grass type stood, Melissa managed to recall Exeggutor back into its Poke Ball, saving it from potential harm. Paul scowled as the announcer's voice boomed.

"AND JUST BARELY SAVING HER EXEGGUTOR, MELISSA HAS SWITCHED OUT FOR ANOTHER POKEMON! WHO WILL SHE SEND OUT NOW?"

"Fearow, go!" Melissa threw another Poke Ball out, this time bringing out the large beak bird who shrieked upon being released. It glared down at Magmortar, who equally matched its glare. If it couldn't knock out that Exeggutor, it would definitely knock out this one.

"Start off with Drill Run!" Melissa exclaimed. Fearow tucked in its wings and swooped down at Magmortar with its beak glowing yellow.

"Magmortar, Flamethrower!" Paul exclaimed. Magmortar aimed its cannon and let out the stream of fire, but Fearow swerved out of the way and kept going on its course.

Magmortar moved the Flamethrower around trying to land a good hit on Fearow, but it was pointless as the Flying type was right near it now. "Avoid it!"

"Get it with Agility!" Melissa cried victoriously. Fearow sped up and was on Magmortar in the blink of an eye, slamming the super effective attack into the Fire type. Magmortar stumbled on its feet and tripped over onto its back as a result.

Melissa saw this as a chance of victory. "Drill Run again!"

"Rock Tomb!" Paul countered. Fearow went in for the same attack again just as Magmortar got up and conjured a swarm of boulders in the air that fell towards Fearow.

"Avoid them with Agility and hit Magmortar!" Melissa exclaimed. Using Fearow's speed was the key to winning this battle and Melissa planned to fully adapt to that. Fearow gracefully swerved out of the way as rocks tumbled down just before they hit the bird.

It easily evaded the rest of the rocks as well and rushed towards Magmortar...only to meet with a flaming fist in the face.

"Fearow!" Melissa cried out as Fearow was launched back from the surprise Fire Punch. She looked back at Magmortar, who stood there calmly waiting for its trainer's orders.

"It won't be so easy to beat us like that," Paul said. "You're going to have to do better than that." Melissa scowled and looked at Fearow, who was picking itself up. "Fearow, let's take to the skies! Hurricane!"

Fearow shrieked and flapped its wings as it flew up in the air. The bird then continously flapped its wings, creating a large current of wind that blew violently in the field.

Paul narrowed his eyes. _'Alright then, let's see what you're up to.'_ Magmortar was struggling against the harsh wind, one arm draped over its face as it crouched down to avoid getting blown away.

A few seconds later, Fearow came dive bombing down towards Magmortar and Paul saw his chance. "Grab it and use Fire Punch!"

"Up, up!" Melissa frantically exclaimed. Magmortar managed to grab Fearow but just before its flaming fist could connect with the bird's face, the Flying type broke out of its grasp and barely ducked under the fiery cannon. "Great, now Steel Wing!"

"ROW!" Fearow whipped upwards, slamming its steel coated wing onto Magmortar's face, earning a growl of pain. The bird then escaped from danger, hovering in the air a good feet away.

"You're really starting to get on my nerves," Paul deadpanned.

"Well, deal with it! You're not winning this battle if I have to say anything about it!" Melissa growled. Paul snorted. "Fine, if that's how you want to play then alright. Magmortar, Rock Tomb!"

Magmortar raised both its cannons, bringing out the boulders that hovered in the air above Fearow before they were abruptly dropped.

"Haven't you learned already? Agility, then Drill Run!" Melissa sneered. Like before, Fearow skillfully avoided the falling rocks with great speed, swerving left and right. It then dove towards Magmortar with its yellow glowing beak outstretched.

"Not this time. Rock Tomb again!" More rocks were dropped from the air. Fearow avoided those again and continued its course. It was almost there now. The attack would directly land and the win would be secured. That was, until Paul shouted, "Again!"

Melissa narrowed her eyes as she saw her Fearow once again skillfully avoid the falling rocks and continued on towards Magmortar. "What are you doing? No matter how many rocks you throw, Fearow will avoid them! Has the pressure already gotten to you?"

"Not at all," Paul smirked. "You just fell right into my trap." Melissa's eyes widened. "How...?"

"See those rocks lying around?" Sure enough, a mountain of rocks used from the numerous Rock Tomb attacks were lying on the middle of the field. "When rocks slide against each other, they can cause an unreal amount of friction to occur. And when there's friction involved, electricity is generated. These rocks are also moving around at the moment." Sure enough, the mountain of rocks was slowly crumbling apart.

Melissa gasped. "You mean-"

"Your Fearow lost," Paul said. "Thunderbolt!" Magmortar seemed to be smirking as it lifted both its cannons and fired a bolt of electricity at the mountain of rocks. There was a brief flash as the electricity collided with the rocks, then suddenly a massive bolt shot out from the top of the mountain.

Fearow happened to be hovering right above the mountain and was too late to move before it was zapped by the electricity. With a defeated cry, the bird fell to the ground where swirls were shown in its eyes.

"Fearow is unable to battle! Red corner, send out your next Pokemon!" Melissa, still in shock at her loss, shook her head and angrily recalled Fearow. She then pulled out another Poke Ball before tossing it onto the field. "Golem, let's do this!"

The Megaton Pokemon appeared with a loud roar, prompting cheers from her crowd. This was Melissa's famous Pokemon, and her strongest. Known to have taken down the toughest of opponents, Golem was feared amongst many trainers.

Paul however just stared at Golem with a contemplating look, then pulled out a Poke Ball. "Magmortar, good work. Return for now." The red light sucked Magmortar back in it's Poke Ball.

Melissa scowled. "Smart choice. My Golem would have taken that Magmortar out in quick timing. You'd better have something good otherwise you're screwed!"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Paul darkly said as he pulled out a Poke Ball. "This one will shut you up once and for all. Torterra, stand by for battle!"

Out of the Poke Ball came the Continent Pokemon, who slammed onto the ground and bellowed a furious roar, one that made the crowd temporarily freeze up. They suddenly cheered louder at the Grass type.

"AND BOTH TRAINERS HAVE SENT OUT THEIR MOST POWERFUL POKEMON! TORTERRA IS KNOWN TO BE PAUL'S STARTER AND ACE IN THE HOLE WHILE THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR MELISSA! THEY BOTH SEEM TO BE VERY STRONG AND NEITHER LOOK LIKE THEY WILL GIVE UP ANYTIME SOON! WHO WILL WIN THIS EPIC BATTLE OF PURE STRENGTH?!"

Paul and Melissa stared each other down before shouting out their commands. "Hyper Beam!"

 **-xXx-**

Reggie nodded in approval. "Paul's doing amazing right now. Especially against an opponent like Melissa, he's not loosing his cool!"

"That was a neat trick right there," Brandon said. "The one with the mountain of electricity and all. I can't even think of something like that!"

"Yeah, he's been practicing stuff like that mainly. You're going to expect more when you battle him," Reggie replied.

"But now both of them have their most powerful Pokemon out," Anabel said, looking at the field. "I know Paul's Torterra is incredibly strong, but this is Melissa's Golem we're talking about. Do you think it will go smooth even with the type advantage?"

"Smooth? Maybe. Paul winning? Definitely."

"Agreed," Reggie nodded.

 **-xXx-**

"Your Golem is strong, I'll give you that," Paul said as the smoke cleared. Both Torterra and Golem were staring each other down, silently daring the other to make the next move.

"So is your Torterra. But don't think this will be easy even though you have the type advantage!" Melissa exclaimed.

Paul snorted. "I was never one to rely on type advantages. Torterra, Stone Edge!" Upon hearing its trainer's command, Torterra roared and stomped its feet, shooting out large jagged stones from the ground.

"Those petty rocks will do nothing to my Golem! Use your own Stone Edge!" Melissa ordered. In response, the Megaton Pokemon roared as its own jagged rocks countered the incoming ones, easily protecting it from any damage.

"Thanks for the opening. Torterra, Leaf Storm!"

"Get out the way, Golem!" Melissa frantically shouted. Luckily, Golem had tucked into its stony shell and rolled out of the way as a barrage of sharp leaves slammed into the ground where it stood a second ago.

Golem emerged from its shell and growled, eyeing Torterra with determination. It didn't care about the type disadvantage it was going to defeat this overgrown turtle.

"Fire Punch!"

Paul watched as Golem sprang towards Torterra, waiting until it was a few feet away, then shouted out, "Iron Head!"

 _"Tor-TERRA!"_ Torterra crouched down and sprang forward, its head glowing white as it slammed into the surprised Golem with brute force. Golem let out a yelp as it was thrown back due to the force of the attack. It got up and shook its head, snarling at the calm Grass type in front of it.

 **"That was a lucky shot. Don't think I'll let you do that again, you overgrown reptile. I'm winning these battle!"** Golem growled.

 **"We'll see about that,"** Torterra replied. It had no intention of letting this giant boulder win. It was Paul's strongest Pokemon after all and it had gone up against tougher opponents in the past. And after all this training, Torterra knew it was a monster when it came to battling.

"Golem, Stone Edge and Earthquake!" Melissa snapped. Golem stomped its feet on the ground, letting out a large tremor as a bunch of jagged rocks pelted Torterra's face. The Grass type winced a little at the attack but shook it off as it remained steady on the ground.

Paul narrowed his eyes. What was she trying to do with those two non effective attacks like that? His question was answered when Melissa shouted out, "Fire Punch!"

While Torterra was facing the two attacks head on, Golem leaped towards the Grass type with its fist ignited in fire, aiming to punch it in the face.

"Get out of the way!" Paul exclaimed. Much to Melissa's shock, Torterra crouched down and jumped to the side just before Golem could hit it with the super effective attack.

The Rock type turned around and prepared to strike again but Paul was ready this time. "Wood Hammer!"

"Dodge it!" Melissa shouted. It was too late though, as Torterra had shot in the air, twisting its body around so the back side of it that was glowing green was facing its opponent, and dove down.

Golem had no time to react as Torterra's Wood Hammer crashed down on it, forcing the two on the ground due to the force of the impact. Golem weakly groaned as it struggled to get up. The attack had hurt twice as much because of its typing and had taken a lot of its strength away. This Torterra clearly was not playing around.

The Grass type meanwhile shrugged off the recoil and stood by, waiting for its trainer's orders. There were hardly any scratches on its body and it barely even looked out of breath. By now it was obvious who was going to win.

Melissa wouldn't have that however. Glaring at Paul with hatred, she commanded the next attack. "Hyper Beam!"

 **"This is the end for you, turtle!"** Golem shouted as it prepared the large orange orb in its mouth and blasted it at its opponent. **"Hope you like the taste of a powerful Hyper Beam!"**

Torterra calmly watched the attack coming closer, knowing exactly what its trainer wanted. The Hyper Beam crashed into the Grass type, earning a grunt of pain as it was slightly pushed back.

Melissa watched Paul's unmoving expression triumphantly, but immediatly gasped when the smoke cleared to reveal Torterra, who looked no different than before. "H-how...?"

"My Pokemon are stronger than they look," Paul said. "It'll take more than a Hyper Beam to bring them down. However it looks like this match is mine. Torterra, end it with Frenzy Plant!"

 **"Night night, you oversized boulder,"** Torterra said as a grin formed on its face. It's body glowed bright green for a few seconds before it stomped its feet on the ground, sprouting out large thick vines from the ground that all slammed into Golem at once.

The last thing Torterra saw on the Rock type's face was its shocked expression before it was brutally knocked out.

"Golem is unable to battle! Red corner, send out your last Pokemon!"

Melissa was shocked to the core. Her strongest Pokemon had been taken out just after a few attacks. Even though her opponent had the massive type advantage, it wasn't like she hadn't dealt with that before. Now, this was just adding salt to the wound.

Paul stared at her shocked expression. "Well...are you going to send out your last Pokemon?"

Melissa shook her head and scowled, releasing her Exeggutor out on the field. "Shut up! This battle is far from over!"

Paul scoffed. "If you think you can take all three of my Pokemon on with that Exeggutor only, you are solely mistaken."

Melissa's glare seemed to increase at that. "I'll show you, you arrogant prick! Psychic!"

 _'Arrogant? Look who's talking,'_ Paul thought as his Torterra was surrounded by a blue glow and lifted in the air. "Stone Edge!"

"TERRA!" Torterra roared as a bunch of jagged stones slammed into Exeggutor, forcing the three headed Grass type to drop Torterra back on the ground, yielding its attack.

"Pull yourself together, Exeggutor!"

"Stone Edge again!"

Melissa scowled as the stones came at her Pokemon again. "Psychic to send them back!"

Exeggutor's attack stopped the stones midair and turned them around, sending them flying back.

Paul was unfazed. "Leaf Storm!" The stones were obliterated by the barrage of leaves that Torterra shot out at lightning speed.

Melissa growled, growing impatient by the second. "Zen Headbutt!"

 _'Bingo.'_ Paul watched as Exeggutor shot towards Torterra like a rocket with its head glowing blue. At the last second, he shouted out, "Iron Head!"

 **"Sit down you three headed lunatic!"** Torterra bellowed as its white glowing head collided with Exeguttor, clearly overpowering the latter and knocking it to the ground.

Melissa could see the trouble she was in but Paul beat her to it. "Finish it with Crunch!"

Torterra opened its mouth, revealing its sharp teeth glowing a dark aura that sealed Exeggutor's fate immediatly.

"Exeggutor is unable to battle! Red corner has no more Pokemon available to battle, so the winner is Paul Shinji!"

Melissa glared at Paul as the crowd loudly cheered for the Sinnoh native. Paul looked at her and said nothing, though the barely visible glint in his eyes was enough to tell her that he was smirking at her.

With a huff, Melissa briskly turned around and walked out of the stadium. Paul shook his head and followed suit, recalling Torterra and making his way out as well.

 **-xXx-**

The battle was over and just like that. Ash sighed at the terrible performance the female trainer had displayed. Exeggutor didn't even stand a chance against Paul's infamous Torterra.

 **"Well, that was something,"** Pikachu said. **"At least we know that Paul isn't playing around."**

"True. That Melissa chick needs to chill though," Ash said. "She was way to overconfident in that battle. That's probably the biggest mistake you can make when going against Paul."

Pikachu smirked. **"Now that sounds oddly familiar, doesn't it?"**

Ash rolled his eyes. "You're hilarious. Anyway, let's hope the next match isn't as boring as that one."

The two watched as the TV shuffled the participants faces and came to a stop at two trainers. Ash froze, seeing who was next.

Pikachu looked at its trainer with a look of worry. **"Pikapi, you good?"**

Ash shook his head, a slight smile forming on his face. "Nothing, it's just that...you know, it's been a while since we've seen her battle. I hope she's gotten better as a Gym Leader."

Pikachu nodded, a smile on its face too. **"Don't worry, Pikapi. It's Misty we're talking about! She's definitely going to win!"**

Ash nodded. "You're right...Good luck Misty."

 **-xXx-**

"Oh, I'm next?!"

Sabrina looked over at her friend, an amused expression playing on the psychic's face. Misty had just been discussing her new strategies for the tournament and now here she was, about to go out there.

Misty sighed. "How convenient. Oh well, it was coming anyways."

"Good luck," Sabrina said. "You're opponent is a tough one too. Just remember to stay focused at all times and never get ahead of yourself."

Misty snorted. "Who do you think I am?" She stood up and grabbed her Poke Balls. She had been waiting for this moment. It was time to see how far she had really gotten as a Gym Leader.

"Good luck Misty!"

"SHOW THEM WHAT YOU CAN DO! MAKE KANTO PROUD!"

"We'll be cheering you on!"

"You got this!"

Misty blushed at the praise she was receiving from her fellow Gym Leaders. "Thanks guys! I'll win this for all of you!"

Sabrina chuckled as the fourth sensational sister quickly walked out of the room.

 **-xXx-**

"He won. I knew he'd win," Brandon said. He stared at Paul's retreating figure with a slightly approving look. "Good to know he's made it in. Now I have to wait for our match."

"Wow, he's really been training hard, hasn't he Reggie?" Anabel said with amazement. "His Torterra was basically flawless out there and the same goes to his Magmortar! Those strategies were also something!"

"I told you he's not kidding around anymore," Reggie chuckled. _'I seriously hope you don't get ahead of yourself Paul. This is nothing compared to what you're going to face later on in this tournament.'_

 **-xXx-**

"Wow, Paul was amazing!" Max gushed. "His Torterra is invincible! I so want to battle him!"

"That was amazing. I'm gonna have to agree with you on that one Max," May said. She looked at the green haired boy next to her. "What do you think, Drew?"

Drew nodded. "He's certainly strong. I hope I don't face him in the tournament because I stand no chance against him!" Seriously, he was a Coordinator. He wasn't prepared for that kind of a challenge!

"Just as I expected," Dawn smiled. "Paul's as strong as ever!"

Leaf grinned. "All the more excitement to challenge him, eh Gary?"

"You got that right," Gary said. He knew Melissa very well. She had been the one to get him eliminated in the first conference he participated in years ago after all. Seeing her get crushed like this was satisfying to say the least. "Paul's definitely someone I have to worry about. The only reason I even lost to him the other day was because my Electivire was far weaker than his!"

"Either way, we're gonna have a blast!" Iris exclaimed. "Seeing all these trainers here gets me hyped! I wonder when my match starts."

"Well it's about to get better because look!" Brock exclaimed, pointing to the screen. Everybody looked and gasped in excitement.

"Misty's match is next!" Clemont exclaimed.

"Finally, one of us goes out there," Dawn said.

They continued to talk amongst each other, clearly excited for the later rounds. Gary couldn't help, but frown as he thought about his battles. He knew he was far stronger than before ever since he'd become a trainer again a few years ago. His training had gotten slightly rougher but it was worth it as his Pokemon were in top shape. However, he was worried for some reason.

 _'Man I hope all this was worth it,'_ he thought to himself. _'This is my chance to finally accomplish my life long dream. The last time I felt like this was at the Silver Conference. That's when Ash beat me.'_ He frowned as he thought of his rival. _'I wonder how he's doing anyway. Now that we know he's here, I can only hope we can meet up with him again. I wouldn't mind another battle with him.'_

At that last thought, Gary smirked to himself. A battle, just him and Ash, squaring off in the finals of this tournament. He hoped that actually happened because it would be perfect.

 _'I'll be seeing you in the finals, Ashy boy!'_

 **-xXx-**

 **So you'll notice that I've given Pokemon their own dialogue at last. I looked back at the chapters and saw that the Pokemon weren't getting as much development as the characters so henceforth, the Pokemon will all have their own dialogue in this form of text. Anyway yeah, that was Paul's batte which was SO FUCKING ANNOYING. Seriously, writing these battles is so hard because you need to be really creative about it. It would be boring if it went back and forth without any style. So enough of my rambling, I'll see you all next chapter!**


	7. A Chance Encounter

**The Challenger Returns**

 **Alright we're back and let me just start off by saying I loved this chapter and how it turned out! I didn't have too much trouble with it as well, though my life is slowly getting more and more hectic as we speak.**

 **Oh, and I made a minor change. From now on, Pokemon will not be referred as 'it' as I've decided to go by genders for plot purposes. An example would be referring Ash's Pikachu as a "he" and Alto Mare Latias as a "she". Don't know why, the genderless thing seemed a little dull to me so I changed it. If that bothers you, then get a life.**

 **I think this is the best chapter I've written so far, along with my favorite. It's not rushed the slightest and has a ton of character development as well as detail. Let me know what you guys think. With that send, enjoy the chapter!**

 **-xXx-**

Full Summary: A loss can sometimes change a person. After Ash Ketchum mysteriously disappeared without a trace, his friends and family were left absolutely devastated. 3 years later, a tournament is being held in the exotic Dahara City, located in the faraway lands of the Kalos Region. Serving as the world's biggest event ever, trainers of all kind will be pit against each other in a battle for the best. Only the strongest of the strong can survive and go through the grueling journey. At first, entering the tournament seemed fun and worth a try, but when the missing trainer from Pallet Town returns to claim his place as the Pokemon Master, everyone has their mind set on finding their long lost friend. However, the Ash they once knew has completely changed and no one knows why. Along with old feelings resurfaced, ambitious rivals, and a dark plot endangering the lives of many, Ash and his friends are in for the toughest battles of their lives...

Normal Talk

 _Thoughts/Letters/Announcements/Flashbacks_

 **Pokemon talking**

 _ **Talking through aura/psychic ability**_

 **-xXx-**

~[Chapter 7: A Chance Encounter]~

 **-Master League-**

There were many times in her life in which she truly felt like crawling into her covers where she was safely protected and not have to worry about anything. Back then if she were in this kind of situation, she would have done the same exact thing. But not now.

Right now, Misty was feeling nothing but pure excitement as she stepped out on the field, a confident look on her face. She took her place and nodded at the referee, then looked at her opponent. A tan skinned boy who looked about her age stood there with a confident smirk. His brown hair was spiked up and curved in all sorts of directions and he wore a white vest over a blue t-shirt, ripped up blue jeans and a pair of brown boots. A chain hung from his neck, showing off a sharp, silver colored fang.

"So, you're the Cerulean City Gym Leader..." the boy said. "I'm Raul. I've competed in five leagues and won three of them and I don't plan on holding back at all. Nothing is going to stop me from achieving my dream of becoming the world's strongest trainer, so get ready for the toughest battle of your life!"

"I could say the same to you," Misty nodded back. "As the third strongest Gym Leader of Kanto, I will do my best to not only defend my title, but also prove myself as the strongest Water type trainer!"

Raul smirked in a kind way. "I see we have the same goals. I can tell this is going to be one hell of a battle. Good luck."

Misty smiled. This guys was alot nicer than he seemed. "You too."

"THIS WILL BE A 3 ON 3 BATTLE BETWEEN RAUL BLAZE FROM ORRE AND MISTY WATERFLOWER FROM KANTO! TRAINERS, SEND OUT YOUR POKEMON!"

"Go Gyarados!" Misty threw her Poke Ball and released her strongest Pokemon out on the field. The large, blue serpentine Pokemon roared upon being summoned and glared at his opponent.

 **"So this is the trainer I'm facing,"** Gyarados hissed as he sized up the boy. **"Doesn't seem like much to me. This battle will be over in a second."**

 **"Don't be so sure about that."** Gyarados growled as his opponent took shape upon being called out on the battlefield. A blue frog was crouched on one knee before it slowly rose up, glaring at the Water type. The Pokemon's sharp red claws seemed to extend at this.

Gyarados hissed. **"So you have the nerve to take me on, is it? Very well then, I'll be sure to make this as painful as possible. You'll learn along with everyone else not to go up against me!"**

The Toxicroak was unfazed by the threat, instead merely crossing his arms as his serious expression never left his face. **"You talk big. Let's see if you can show us exactly how strong you are."**

The trainers could feel their Pokemon's adrenaline pumping up. They couldn't blame them. After all, the two were feeling the same way.

"Begin!" the referee called. Raul wasted no time in going first. "Toxicroak, start off with Bulk Up!"

Toxicroak's muscles seemed to bulge as he clenched his fists, surrounding himself in a red aura. **"You have no idea what you're in for, snake!"**

 **"What did you just call me, you little amphibian?!"** Gyarados snarled.

"Gyarados, use Hydro Pump!" Misty shouted. **"I'll bury you below the depths of the sea itself!"** Gyarados roared as he tossed his head back and let out a large blast of water that crashed towards Toxicroak. At the speed the attack was approaching along with the power behind it, no doubt would that leave devastation in its wake.

However, the poison frog wasn't the slightest bit intimidated. If anything, he was ready for when his trainer called out the next command. "Dodge it, then follow up with Cross Chop!"

 **"Easy as expected,"** Toxicroak nimbly hopped out of the way just before the water crashed down on the ground, then began sprinting towards Gyarados with his arms crossed, ready to deliver the powerful blow.

"Aqua Tail!" Misty readily called out. Gyarados roared as he swung his blue glowing tail around, ready to smash the frog to the ground. **"Take this!"**

"Jump up and Sludge Bomb it in the face!" Raul quickly ordered. With great speed, Toxicroak easily leaped into the air, avoiding the tail smash and opened his mouth, releasing a purple blob of toxin. **"Eat poison, bitch!"**

 **"Gyaraaaa!"** Gyarados roared in pain as the Poison type attack struck his face head on, making the serpent lurch back in pain. Misty gasped. "Oh no, sorry Gyarados! Are you okay?!"

 **"Grr...never been better!"** Gyarados growled. That hurt but one little attack wouldn't be enough to defeat the proud Water type. He straightened up, nodding at Misty and glaring at his opponent.

Misty breathed a sigh of relief. If this was back when she was still an amateur trainer, Gyarados surely would have lost control and gone on a rampage. However, that was not the case now. She had helped the Atrocious Pokemon control its temper and form a deep bond with it, so now things were alot better.

"Come on, let's do this Gyarados!" Misty exclaimed with utmost confidence. "Go for a Dragon Rage!"

 **"RAAAAH!"** Gyarados roared as he let out violent flames of draconian energy that raced towards his opponent.

"Toxicroak, dodge and follow up with Shadow Ball!" Raul countered.

 **"Too easy,"** Toxicroak said as he leaped out of the way and fired a dark purple ball from his mouth. The Shadow Ball soared towards Gyarados at great speed, but the serpent managed to twist his body avoiding it.

Toxicroak didn't stop there however, as he began racing towards his opponent as his arms glowed blue.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

"Smash it with X-Scissor!"

Toxicroak uncrossed his arms and released a large amount of energy in the form of an 'X' that collided with the Hydro Pump, both attacks exploding and cancelling each other out with ease. Despite this, Toxicroak continued his pursuit and Misty knew she had to do something now.

"Gyarados, get it with Flamethrower!"

Raul smirked. "Sucker Punch." Gyarados opened his mouth, revealing bright hot flames swirling around. **"Prepare to be burned to a crisp!"**

 **"Not exactly."** Much to Gyarados' shock, Toxicroak was suddenly right in front of him, lashing out with both fists which were coated in dark aura. Gyarados flinched in pain as he was struck by the fists lightning fast, immediatly halting his attack.

Misty bit her lip, knowing the power of Sucker Punch. No matter what, the user would always strike first by some miracle and it would halt their opponent's attacks, stunning them momentarily.

However, the user would also be stunned for a moment and Misty already had a plan as soon as the attack had landed. "Now Gyarados, get him with Dragon Tail!"

Raul and Toxicroak's eyes widened as Gyarados briefly recovered, twirling his body around and lashing out with the teal coated tail while Toxicroak was still airborne. Toxicroak had no time to react and the air was knocked out of his lungs as the draconian tail slammed into his chest and sent his flying back.

Gyarados watched with satisfaction as the frog landed on the ground, skidding a few feet back due to the force of the attack. **"Don't worry, there's far more worse to come after that."**

Toxicroak growled as he pushed himself up. **"Why you arrogant...".** He had no time to finish that sentence as Misty called for another Dragon Rage, forcing him to jump back to avoid getting a taste of the fiery draconian energy. **"Ok, now you're just pissing me off."**

"Toxicroak, power yourself up with Swords Dance and then Nasty Plot!" Raul shouted. Misty narrowed her eyes as Toxicroak crouched down, preparing himself. She knew what both those moves could do and she knew very well that now she had to be careful. But just what was he exactly planning?

Deciding that she shouldn't be allowing him to rest, she shouted, "Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"

Gyarados tossed his head back and directed the attack towards Toxicroak. Raul cursed under his breath and shouted out, "Toxicroak, dodge it and go in for a Shadow Ball!"

 **"You got it, boss!"** Toxicroak croaked as he jumped to the side and shot a purple ball at his opponent. Gyarados twisted his body around, avoiding the Shadow Ball, then going in for the attack.

"Ice Fang!" Misty exclaimed.

 **"Come here you little cretin!"** Gyarados roared as he lunged forward, his teeth freezing up with ice. For his massive size, Gyarados proved to be very fast as he slithered over to his opponent rather quickly, already lashing out before the frog could move out of the way.

"Halt it with Sucker Punch!" Raul shouted. Toxicroak was suddenly in front of Gyarados again, much to the Atrocious Pokemon's shock.

 **"Surprise,"** Toxicroak sneered as he smacked Gyarados to the side with his dark glowing fists. Gyarados lurched, giving his opponent the opening he was looking for.

"Cross Poison!" Raul crossed his arms. Before Misty could give out a command, Toxicroak had already crossed his fists and let loose a blast of poison in the shape of an 'X', similar to X-Scissor. The attack struck Gyarados head on, making him cry out in pain.

Before he could recover, Toxicroak nailed him with a fast Sludge Bomb that sent the Water type flying back and landing harshly on the ground.

Misty watched with worried eyes as Gyarados struggled to get up. "Gyarados, are you okay? Can you keep fighting?"

 **"What kind of question is that?!"** Gyarados snapped as he pushed himself up. He glared at his opponent. **"You're fast, I'll give you that. But it will take more than speed just to bring me down."**

 **"Speed or not, I shall still be the victor of this battle,"** Toxicroak remarked as he slouched over slightly, letting out short pants. **"I may be tired but look at yourself. You are already having trouble standing up to my attacks. Pretty soon, it will be over for you."**

If Gyarados wasn't scowling, he certainly was now. **"Alright, you cocky shit. I'm through playing games with you. This time I'll end you!"** With a loud roar, he began furiously slithering towards his opponent.

 **"This time I'll make sure you stay down!"** Toxicroak began sprinting full speed towards his opponent.

The battle was on now as both Pokemon had looks of determination stretched across their faces and nothing more. The same with their trainers who seemed to be sporting the same look.

"Shadow Ball!" Raul shouted.

"Dodge it!" Misty countered.

No matter how fast Toxicroak shot the ball, Gyarados' agile body made it impossible for him to land a direct hit. The snake would just twist and turn his body, not slowing down even the slightest. It was as if he could predict his opponent's movements and evade them with little difficulty.

Raul scowled. "X-Scissor and Cross Poison! Go!"

Toxicroak crossed his arms and released the 'X' shaped blue energy, followed by uncrossing his arms again to back it up with the poison.

Misty wasn't even deterred by the two 'X's shooting directly towards Gyarados. "Hydro Pump!" Without even flinching, Gyarados briefly reared his head back and blasted out the large stream of water that clashed briefly with the attacks before overpowering them.

Of course, that was enough time for Toxicroak to jump out of the way and even fire off another attack. "Rock Slide!"

 **"Let's see you avoid this!"** Toxicroak slammed his fists on the ground, summoning up a storm of rocks in the air before bringing them down. The rocks began to rain on Gyarados, leaving no space to dodge as they were too big and just a few feet away now.

Misty however had a solution to this. "Aqua Tail to smash those rocks! Now!" Gyarados didn't need to think twice, enveloping his tail in water and swinging in a downward motion, smashing through the rocks in a clear fashion.

The Water type was unharmed for only a moment though because as soon as he cleared the rocks and stopped for a moment, Toxicroak was already in his face. The frog lashed out with a harsh uppercut before the serpent could react, the force of Sucker Punch shooting Gyarados' head up.

Misty tried to call out a command, but Raul was already ahead of her. "Cross Chop!" Toxicroak smirked as his hands glowed white before he diagonally swung down with each arm, both hands striking the Water type in the face directly.

Gyarados was forced to reel back in pain as Toxicroak began his descent. Misty saw her chance and wasted no time in claiming it. "Now grab it with Ice Fang!"

Raul's eyes widened. "What?!" He could do nothing as Gyarados opened his mouth and chomped down on Toxicroak's leg, holding the surprised frog in the air. "No, shake it off!"

 **"Hurgh!...Get off you...,"** Toxicroak raised his right hand in the air but Misty wasn't having any of that. "Throw him in the air!"

 **"Don't you da-"** Toxicroak was cut off as Gyarados swung his head up, letting the frog go in the process and making him fly in the air. The throw was so strong that Toxicroak went up about twenty feet in the air, way high above the field. He limply hung in the air before finally descending down where Gyarados waited with his mouth open.

Misty smirked victoriously. "Flamethrower!" Bright, violent flames fired out of Gyarados' mouth, and into the air where Toxicroak was slowly falling. There was no way to dodge it, so the frog knew he had to brace himself. Unfortunately, he didn't know Endure or any moves that would protect him so all he could do was raise his hands above his face in an effort to protect himself.

Just as the attack was about to hit, Raul completely caught Misty off guard when he shouted out the next command. "Dynamic Punch with everything you got!"

Toxicroak quickly changed position, so that his right hand was outstretched and glowing a bright white light. He crashed into the flames with a wince, feeling the smoldering heat burn his skin as Dynamic Punch fought through.

Misty watched with narrowed eyes as the frog drew closer and closer, knowing she had to end this right now. "More power!"

The flames seemed to intensify upon Misty's order, causing Toxicroak even more pain. Despite that, he still managed to push through and connect the Dynamic Punch against his struggling target.

The result was a big explosion that sent the two Pokemon flying back, where they landed on the ground in pain. Everybody watched with anxious eyes as the two powerful Pokemon struggled to get up. They pushed themselves up and glared at each other, multiple cuts and bruises now visible on their bodies as well has heavy breathing.

 **"You're very persistent, you know that?"** Gyarados said.

 **"I could say the same to you! Why haven't you fallen yet?!"** Toxicroak snapped, clearly fed up with how this was going.

Gyarados let a smirk draw on his face. **"Like I said, I will not fall so easily against a mere weakling like you. I can keep this up all day if I have to, though I can't say the same about you."**

Toxicroak growled. **"I'll end you right here."**

Their glares seemed to intensify as their trainers gave out the final commands.

"Toxicroak, Dark Pulse!"

"Gyarados, Hyper Beam!"

Misty grinned to herself as Gyarados reared his head back and fired his secret weapon he was hiding up till now. The large, orange beam of malevolent power brutally clashed with the dark rings, easily overpowering them and heading towards the Poison type.

Toxicroak could do nothing, but weakly raise his arms above his face as Hyper Beam collided with him, knocking him over and sending him flying back in a resulting explosion. The frog lay on the ground motionless and didn't get up.

Gyarados smirked triumphantly at his fallen opponent. **"I told you I was going to win, didn't I? We now know who is the superior one here!"**

"Toxicroak is unable to battle! Blue corner, send out your next Pokemon!" the referee exclaimed, waving a flag.

Raul sadly returned Toxicroak, thanking it for the battle and pulled out another Poke Ball. He looked at his beaten opponent, knowing he had this one in the bag and threw the Poke Ball forward without hesitation.

The ball opened up to reveal a Pokemon swiftly leaping forward, flipping in the air and landing neatly on the ground on one knee. His tree blades seemed to sharpen as he lifted his head up, glaring at his opponent.

Gyarados scoffed. **"So you're next, huh? Let's see if you can do better than that silly frog!"**

 **"Never underestimate your opponent,"** the Shiftry lowly said in a deep voice, pointing his right hand blade at Gyarados. **"It can lead to foolish mistakes that can cost you."**

 **"Oh, like I'm worried,"** Gyarados rolled his eyes. **"The only one who will be making mistakes here is you!"**

"Battle start!"

"Leaf Tornado!" Raul shouted. Shiftry's right blade glowed green for a moment before he swiped it to the side, unleashing a tornado of swirling leaves that shot towards his opponent at amazing speed.

"Whoa!" Misty exclaimed as Gyarados barely managed to avoid the attack, which crashed into the ground and left a large crater in its wake. "That's powerful! Don't let it hit you Gyarados!"

 **"Wasn't planning on it,"** Gyarados said as he turned around and opened his mouth, already knowing what the next attack was going to be. "Flamethrower!"

"Feint Attack." Raul's calm voice seemed to send Misty on the edge. The flames proved to be alot faster than she though, already in front of the Grass type no sooner than she said it.

Her grin was wiped off as Shiftry suddenly disappeared before the attack could strike, her eyes darting around as she desperately tried to find him. However, there was no sign of the Wicked Pokemon anywhere.

Gyarados suddenly cried out as Shiftry slammed into him seemingly out of nowhere. Misty winced, seeing the attack had done more damage than she thought. "Ice Fang!"

 **"C'mere you!"** Gyarados shot towards Shiftry with his frosted teeth open.

"Dodge and use Leaf Tornado!" Raul countered. Shiftry leapt back easily, then repeatedly swiped both blades, firing off several Leaf Tornadoes much to Misty's shock.

She desperately ordered Gyarados to move, but it was no use. The Atrocious Pokemon dodged several of them, but got struck by a few in the process, doing even more damage. Misty could see Gyarados was clearly tiring out now.

She tried to think of a way to fight back, but Shiftry had fired off more Leaf Tornadoes. "Aqua Tail, _now!_ "

Gyarados swung his tail around, slashing through each tornado with ease and leaving him unharmed. However, Shiftry then came running at him with both blades outstretched. Misty could easily see the incoming Leaf Blade attack, ordering Gyarados for another Aqua Tail.

Raul smirked. "Double Team!" Shiftry agilely hopped over the massive water coated tail, splitting into several copies midair much to her opponent's shock. The Shiftry copies began to run around in a circle, leaving a very confused Gyarados in the middle as he looked around for the real one.

"Gyarados, Aqua Tail them all!" Misty exclaimed. She had to get rid of those copies fast. Gyarados swung his tail around, striking every single Shiftry and dispersing them.

However, the final one they struck also disappeared, leaving them shocked. "Then where's the real one?..." Misty trailed off as a sudden realization hit her. "Oh no! Flamethrower in the air, quick!"

Gyarados looked up just in time to see Shiftry shoot down towards him, slamming the double Leaf Blade on the Water type's head with such force that it earned a roar of pain. Shiftry hopped back as Gyarados slouched forward, heavily breathing and panting by now.

 **"N-no...I can't...go down like...this,"** Gyarados huffed as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Shiftry seemed to smirk behind his poker face. **"I told you not to underestimate anyone. Now you will see the consequences."**

Misty seemed to know what was going on but she couldn't order Gyarados to move in time. Raul ordered a quick Night Slash that Shiftry swiftly delivered. She didn't even see it coming. The Wicked Pokemon seemed to disappear and hit Gyarados in the blink of an eye, taking the Atrocious Pokemon down with a clean hit.

The dark aura around Shiftry's blade disappeared as the referee made the call. "Gyarados is unable to battle! Red corner, send out your next Pokemon!"

Misty returned Gyarados to his Poke Ball, whispering him a thanks before pulling out another one. She glared at her opponent, who didn't seemed to be tired in the slightest. Shiftry was a powerful Pokemon, having taken down her toughest in a few moves without taking any damage at all. She needed a Pokemon that could match his speed and power and she had just the one.

"I'm counting on you...Go Floatzel!"

 **-xXx-**

"There's Misty's second Pokemon," Brock noted as he watched the Sea Weasel emerge from his Poke Ball. "Floatzel may be new, but he can sure pack a punch!"

Clemont nodded. "I agree. I've battled that Floatzel a few times and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't strong."

"Misty's got this!" Max exclaimed. "She clearly knows what she's doing!"

"Yeah, but that Raul guy is an expert trainer," Brock said. "I've heard about him. He grew up in Orre and is said to be a very powerful trainer. There's a reason why he's won three league conferences."

"Yeah, but he hasn't beaten any Elite Four!" Max retorted. "Obviously he isn't as strong as he seems!"

"Looks like there's only one thing to do," Cilan mused, a familiar look downing on his face. Realization dawned on Iris, Burgundy, and Georgia, and the three simultaneously groaned. Everybody looked at them in confusion, but their questions were answered immediatly.

"It's evaluation time!" Cilan exclaimed. The green haired Unova native then started to rant on the ongoing battle between the two trainers, making comments on their skills and Pokemon while also boring the group to death.

"I think I know what you guys mean now," Bonnie said, shaking her head. "He just doesn't shut up!"

"My ears are starting to bleed!" Leaf exclaimed dramatically.

"Somebody please shut his mouth!" Drew angrily said.

"I hear ya Drew!" May added. No matter what, Cilan continued on his rambling, much to the group's dismay.

Dawn glanced at her boyfriend who was so caught up in the battle that he didn't seem to be paying attention. The same went for Serena, who had been awfully quiet lately. She made a mental note to confront the girl later and find out what was going on.

"Ouch, that one looked like it hurt!" Gary suddenly exclaimed. The group paused their banter and looked at the field. Apparently, Shiftry had landed a solid Leaf Blade right at Floatzel's midsection that had sent the Water type flying.

Tracey and Brock grimaced. "She can do this," the Orange Islands native murmured. "I know she can..."

"She will," Brock nodded. "Misty always pulls through in the end."

Dawn decided to agree with the Pewter doctor as she turned her attention back to the battle.

 **-xXx-**

"Floatzel, you good?" Misty called.

The Sea Weasel looked back at his trainer and gave an affirmative nod. **"Never been better! This guy's just giving me a run for my money, that's all!"**

 **"You are one persistent Water type,"** Shiftry growled, holding up his blade and dashing at Floatzel. **"Why don't you just stay down?!"**

 **"Sorry, no can do,"** Floatzel replied with a smirk as he agilely hopped over the slash, then swung his ice coated fist down, striking the Wicked Pokemon's arm. The Grass type grimaced, stumbling a few steps to the side while he nursed his injured arm. He scowled. His opponent had taken so many hits and landed them back with such precision that now even he was beginning to get tired. Just how many more Leaf Blades would it take?

Apparently, his trainer was thinking the same thing because he shouted out, "Leaf Tornado!"

Shiftry swiped his blades repeatedly, letting several tornadoes loose at his opponent as he dashed forward. Floatzel jumped back and evaded a few tornadoes, then blasted the rest apart with a well timed Sonic Boom.

"Jump!" Misty's voice seemed to echo in his mind. The Sea Weasel took no time in leaping into the air, barely jumping over a fast Night Slash that was clearly aimed at him.

Shiftry growled and tried to attack upwards, but Floatzel slammed a Sonic Boom into him just before he could attack. The Wicked Pokemon stumbled back and Floatzel took the opportunity to carry out his next order. "Ice Punch!"

 **"GRAAAAH!"** Shiftry howled as the super effective attack struck him in the gut, making him stagger back in pain. Floatzel slouched a little and panted, knowing the fatigue was catching up to him. After all this fighting, he was about to collapse. However, the same was for Shiftry meaning Floatzel knew he could end it just before it was too late.

"Shiftry, are you okay?" Raul asked in a worried tone. Shiftry glanced back at his trainer and silently nodded, signalling for the fight to continue. Raul smiled and nodded. "If you say so. Leaf Tornado, then strike him down with Night Slash!"

Misty narrowed her eyes, knowing very well what this combo was. If she let her guard down for even a second, it would definitely cost her. "Floatzel, wait for it."

 **"Got it,"** Floatzel nodded. He stood still as Shiftry rushed at him, swinging his blades wildly and letting out several Leaf Tornadoes. As the winds approached, Misty noticed the dark aura now surrounding the Wicked Pokemon's blades as they were held up above his head.

There was her chance. "Spin while using Aqua Jet!" she cried out victoriously. This was a unique technique Dawn had taught her when she presented the Sinnoh native her Floatzel for the first time.

Raul's jaw dropped as Floatzel flew forward surrounded by water, then started twirling his body in a precise motion allowing him to avoid every single Leaf Tornado by just an inch. How the Sea Weasel managed to squeeze into the gap was something he did not know, but he was fully aware of the incoming danger now. "Night Slash, now!"

Misty's eyes widened. "Ice Punch!"

Shiftry swung his dark blades just as Floatzel lashed out with his cold fist, striking the Grass type's midsection while also being brutally slashed on the side. Both Pokemon cried out as they crashed into each other, knocking themselves down.

After a moment, both Pokemon stood up panting heavily and glaring at each other. Multiple cuts and bruises were evident on their body by now, as well as frosted skin on Shiftry.

 **"Huff...good battle weasel,"** Shiftry managed to say.

Floatzel nodded. **"You too...ninja thing...".** With a groan, both Pokemon fell over, swirls showing in their eyes. "Both Pokemon are unable to battle! Trainers, send out your last Pokemon!"

Misty and Raul returned their fallen Pokemon, thanking them for their efforts before pulling out a final Poke Ball. This was it. This next battle would determine the winner of this match or they would both walk away from here by a tie.

"This has been a good match so far, but I'm afraid it's over," Raul said, tossing his Poke Ball. "Druddigon, come forth!"

A red and blue scaly dragon was released, letting out a roar as he took his place on the field. Of course her opponent's last Pokemon was a Dragon type, something immune to her field of specialty. However, Misty had complete faith in this last Pokemon, especially after it had changed over the past few years.

"It's all up to you now," Misty said as she looked at the Poke Ball in her hand, then back at her opponent. Then with a sigh, she heaved the Poke Ball in the air. "Do your best...Golduck!"

The blue bipedal duck shot out of his Poke Ball and camly landed on the ground, taking a look at his opponent. Immediatly knowing it was going to be a tough fight, the Water type took a fighting stance and nodded at Misty.

 **"So, you're my opponent..."** Druddigon said as he stared at Golduck. **"Very well then. Let's start."**

It was time to finish this.

 **-xXx-**

Ash's eyes widened as he took notice of Misty's choice on the field. "...Is that..."

 **"That's definitely Psyduck,"** Pikachu remarked as he looked at his old friend. **"Or at least, he used to be. Clearly he must have changed for the better if it was Misty who was actually bringing him out of his Poke Ball."**

Ash nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's see how this goes. This battle just got a whole lot more interesting."

Pikachu smirked. **"Told ya."**

Ash stared at the red haired girl below, smiling all the way. _'You can do it Misty. I know you can.'_

 **-xXx-**

 _'All my life I've always wanted to be the greatest Water trainer ever. Being a Gym Leader was awesome and all, but it just didn't give me that passion I've always strived for. It seemed so...dull.'_

Misty watched as her serious Golduck lunged at the silent Druddigon, the two immediatly locking themselves in a fierce battle. She shouted commands left and right, the battle becoming even more fierce. Her opponent was giving her an incredibly hard time, having a counter for almost anything she did.

Whenever she would command an attack, there would always be a follow up with a counter, resulting in both Pokemon harming themselves even more.

"Hydro Pump!" Still, she wouldn't give up no matter what.

 _'People always told me I wouldn't get far, my sisters being the worst. With the level of expertise I had back then, it was no surprise that the Cerulean Gym was easily the weakest and lowest level gym in Kanto. Even the Pewter Gym surpassed mine, considering Brock was always the smart one back then.'_

 _'But...that all changed one day...'_

"Thunder Punch!" _**SMACK!**_

Golduck flew back from the direct attack as his opponent chased after him with fists crackling with electricity.

 _'I met Ash that one day and everything changed...'_

Golduck flipped himself over, opening his mouth. "Ice Beam!"

 _'He was the first person to tell me that I could do it. That I could accomplish my dream. Why? He told me that my personality showeed that I would never give up and always keep striving, and that's what kept me going even after all those bumps on the road. I was astounded. No one was ever that kind and sincere to me. I had actually found a friend to rely on whenever I needed it. That's why I followed him on his journey, not because I wanted a new bike, but to support him as well...'_

She watched as her Pokemon's attack connected with their opponent, earning a growl of pain that sent the Dragon stumbling back. He shook himself from the effects of the super effective attack and stood tall, glaring at his opponent.

Clearly, it had the upper hand here. Water attacks did almost next to nothing, the only advantage being Ice Beam. On the other hand, the Druddigon had an arsenal of powerful moves that could utterly wreck his opponent without too much trouble.

However, Misty had learned long ago that she could do it if she kept trying and never give up.

 _'We always had each other's backs, helping out at even the toughest times. Like Ash and Brock, I also grew in terms of skill and as a person. I caught many more strong Water types that stuck with me no matter what. The bond we formed as so incredible that even one time I nearly drowned in my favorite habitat, having been rescued by my Psyduck in some kind of miracle...'_

 _'Psyduck...I always thought that the dolt would get nowhere in life, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't like his company. Even when he came out of his Poke Ball at the worst times possible, I couldn't bring myself to break his Poke Ball and release him back into the wild. It was one of the many reasons why he evolved for me during our training and grew serious. It was one of the reasons why I am here today...'_

Druddigon came at Golduck with a powerful Thunder Punch, prompting the Water type to duck and fire an Ice Beam at close range. His opponent reeled back in pain, but stood his ground. Scary Face managed to halt Golduck, giving Druddigon the time to burn him with Dragon Breath, then nail him with a follow up Thunder Punch.

Her mind went into a frenzy once she saw the state her Pokemon was in. Golduck was struggling to get up to his feet and once he did, electricity coursed through his body, showing signs of paralysis.

With her Pokemon unable to move, Misty's opponent smiled victoriously, shouted out orders to end this. She knew another powerful attack would definitely be the end for Golduck and that she needed to do something. But her mind was all jumbled up, mixed with fear, concern and confusion. Fear because of losing, concern because of her Pokemon, and confusion because of not knowing what to do now. She couldn't think rationally, only watch as her opponent came closer with the intent of ending this at last.

Then it hit her like a train.

 _'When our journey ended after travelling through three regions, I was sad to say goodbye. Brock would continue travelling with Ash through Hoenn and Sinnoh while I stayed back at the gym, knowing my sisters would make a mess if I was gone too long. However in that time, all I could think about was my time with my friends. I had developed seriously when travelling and it helped me grow stronger. Much stronger.'_

Druddigon raised his arm up preparing an electrified Thunder Punch as he came closer.

 _'I wanted to see him again. The person who helped me out through my whole journey, the one person who made me realize the true feelings between a trainer and their Pokemon. My best friend...Ash. So I went and met up with him in Hoenn, along with reuniting with Brock and meeting the two Maple siblings, May and Max. We got along well and I was happy to be with my friends again. I was glad he hadn't changed. Even after saying bye to Togetic, he stayed there with me, wrapping his arms around me in comfort as I cried. All this time and he was still the same.'_

Golduck weakly raised his head as Druddigon drew closer, closing his eyes as he waited for the painful blow.

 _'After that, I changed for the better. I went back to Kanto and treated my Pokemon alot better than before. My feelings for Ash had died down, now recognizing him as a brotherly figure of sorts. I had learned from him, forming a much deeper bond with my Pokemon as we trained restlessly day and night. My sisters would come up to me and tell me to rest, having impressed them already but I would always decline. I told them I still needed to do it. To get stronger.'_

Druddigon was now a few steps away from Golduck, drawing closer and closer by the second.

 _'Eventually, we were much stronger than before. I had travelled through Sinnoh and caught some more Pokemon there and brought them back to my gym where we would train with all our might. I formed an unstoppable Water team soon, climbing my way to the Gym Leader ladder. Challengers who used to come and destroy the Cerulean Gym Challenge everyday was now reduced to barely beating me even once a week. I had grown from being a scrawny, whiny brat who was terrified of bugs to a strong willed, fearless figure who had long since surpassed her fears and was a force to be reckoned with.'_

Druddigon roared as he prepared to bring the fist down on Golduck's skull.

 _'The league organized a small tournament for the Kanto Gym Leaders. I came in third, barely beating Lt. Surge and losing to Sabrina. The winner was the Viridian Gym Leadeer, the mysterious Giovanni who was said to have given Lance a run for his money. After the tournament, I had more motivation to train and grow even more strong so that I could be the strongest Kanto Gym Leader, maybe even a Champion one day. When Ash disappeared, my whole world came crashing down. Day after day I would be depressed and walk around like a ghost. Eventually, I started losing battles more frequently and it was then I realized that my past was catching up. The past I had worked so hard to triumph and fix, which was now slipping away. I knew I coudn't let that happen. Knowing that Ash would want me to stay strong, I trained harder than ever, bringing back my status.'_

 _'Soon, I received an invitation to the tournament. Gary had then come over, asking me if I wanted to train with him and everyone else. I agreed, seeing this could be a perfect opportunity. I grew stronger than ever and was ready to take on the world. And all thanks to that one saying...never give up.'_

 _'Never...give...up!'_ Misty's eyes widened. She looked around her, but saw nothing. _'Was that Ash? Is Ash watching my battle right now? If he is, then I can't lose! I'll show him just how stronger I've gotten! I won't give up!'_

Her attention was brought back to the battle and she smiled. Victory was hers. "Ice Beam!"

As if hearing her thoughts, Golduck let out a loud cry as he broke free of the paralysis, much to the shock of his opponent. Druddigon couldn't move in time to avoid the chilling beam, which struck his stomach directly and sent him flying back.

The Dragon type crashed to the ground and slowly got onto his knees. Before he could do anything, Golduck jumped forward and slammed into the scaly dragon's chest with a fast Aqua Jet, sending the latter tumbling back. The Water type duck then blasted him with another Ice Beam, knocking Druddigon to the ground.

Druddigon was now covered in ice around most parts of his body. He shivered as he struggled to get up, clearly exhausted. **"How...h-how could I l-lose like this?! How did...you b-break out of...the p-paralysis-?"**

The dragon could not finish because he collapsed forward suddenly and replaced his eyes with swirls. The referee glanced at the panting Golduck and the unconscious Druddigon before raising his flag. "Druddigon is unable to battle! Since blue corner has no more Pokemon to fight, the winner is Misty Waterflower!"

Misty sighed as the crowd cheered. That was too close. She looked at her exhausted Golduck, who was struggling to remain on his feet. "You did amazing, Golduck. Words cannot describe how proud I am."

The comment seemed to do its work. Golduck smiled and nodded before sinking to his knees. He was returned to his Poke Ball before he could hit the ground.

She heard a sigh and saw Raul walking towards her. "Hey, that was a great battle. I haven't lost to a Gym Leader of a specific type for a while now. Sad to see my streak end, but at least it was to someone as strong as you. Anyway, good luck in the future rounds."

Misty smiled. "Thanks. You were awesome too. Maybe you should travel Kanto one day and stop by my gym for a rematch."

Raul smiled and nodded. The two shook hands and walked out of the stadium. Misty smiled along the way.

 _'Never give up.'_

 **-xXx-**

Ash sighed in relief. He really thought Misty was going to lose back there. Seeing her stand there doing nothing had scared him there.

 **"What'd I tell you?"** Pikachu said as the two walked off. **"She always pull through in the end."**

"Yup," Ash chuckled. "She hasn't changed one bit." Her fiery nature was still there, he knew it.

"I wonder if I'll battle her," Ash muttered. Pikachu shrugged. **"Who knows? Here, anything could happen."**

"I wouldn't say 'anything'," Ash said. "Come on, let's go take a walk before the next match starts."

With that said, both trainer and Pokemon disappeared out the door.

 **-xXx-**

"I knew she could do it," Brock said. "Her Pokemon have definitely gotten stronger than before. I don't see Misty being eliminated anytime soon."

"Same," Gary smirked. "And I was the one who helped boost her Water attacks with my Blastoise. I think I deserve some credit here as well."

Leaf giggled. "Gary, the only ever credit you'll get is for being the world's biggest douche."

Gary's eyes narrowed. "Oh really? That's funny coming from an overconfident, cocky little cheater who is known for trying to steal gym badges when she can't win."

Leaf flushed red. "That was years ago when I first started out as a trainer! I don't do that anymore!"

"Uh huh. And I caught Arceus in a Poke Ball." The two went at each other immediatly, leaving the others to talk amongst each other.

Dawn suddenly stood up. "I'll be right back. I'm going to the restroom." Her friends nodded and she walked off.

Max sighed and looked at his Poke Balls. "Man, I can't wait to go out there. I've been itching to battle in this tournament for a long time now."

"You're turn will come soon, Max," May said putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll support you all the way." Max nodded.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, June," Drew nodded. For once, May ignored Drew's comment and continued chatting with her brother. The green haired boy sighed and turned to Clemont. "So what are your plans for when you go out there?"

Clemont smiled. "Well, I've got my team set up and all so I think I'll do good."

"You'll do great," Serena said. "I've known you for a long time Clemont. You're an amazing battler."

Gee, thanks Serena," Clemont said, turning a little red. Bonnie looked at the two and silently smirked. It seemed as if she had finally found someone for her brother.

"Great, now there's a fifteen minute break," Iris groaned. "Just when the battles were getting a lot more interesting."

"Well, we can wait right?" Tracey said. "Fifteen minutes isn't that long."

"You are right about that my friend," Cilan nodded. When we're amongst each other, time flies faster than a young one devouring a chocolate bar."

Iris and Burgundy looked at him as if he were crazy. "What?" the purple haired woman said.

 **-xXx-**

Dawn sighed as she made her way back to the stadium. This place was just full of surprises. The public restroom was next to spotless, everything perfectly cleaned as if it wasn't used at all.

"Now how the hell do I get back?" she wondered out loud, looking around the mass people.

 **"I told you we should have gone the other way!"** Piplup huffed, trailing after her. **"It sucks too that you can't understand me or we wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place!"**

"Piplup, calm down," Dawn said. Her Pokemon had been letting out numerous cries and it was starting to get irritating. "I get that you wanted to go the other way but I didn't know. Stop eating my head out for that!" Piplup merely huffed again and folded his arms.

Dawn made her way into a small room, one of the many resting areas of the tower. There were a few couches and a TV at the wall. There weren't any people around too, leaving it empty.

"Great, we did make the wrong turn!" Dawn groaned.

 **"What the hell did I tell you?! At least now you'll listen to me!"** Piplup shouted. **"Jeez, and everyone says I'm the ignorant one."**

Dawn sighed. "Well, let's go back then. Clearly, we aren't supposed to be here." She turned around and walked off, only to bump into someone and fall back.

"Ouch! Oh, I'm sorry sir! I didn't see where I...was...going..." Dawn trailed off as she looked at the person in front of her. The boy's eyes widened as he stood up, dusting himself off while the Pikachu on his shoulder wore a shocked expression on her face.

 **"Dawn, what's wrong? Who is this...wait, what the?"** Piplup gasped as he saw the Pikachu.

The two humans stood there, staring at each other for a few more minutes. Dawn couldn't believe it. The red clothes, the messy raven hair and the Pikachu. There was no mistaking it.

"... ... ..."

"Ash..."

 **-xXx-**

 **And Ash and Dawn have finally met! Of course, me being the asshole I am, I had to end it there just so I could make you guys suffer. Oh, I could already see the pissed off reviews about me ending it right there. I wasn't lying when I said this was my favorite chapter.**

 **Anyway, Misty's thoughts during the last battle was a small little thing for all you Pokeshippers out there. There will be hints on other shippings to but Pearl is the main one here. So, what will happen now that Ash and Dawn are face to face? Will Ash reveal what happened to him and will he return to his friends or will I make you guys suffer even more? (You probably know that answer to that). On that note, I'll see you all next chapter!**


	8. Conflicted

**The Challenger Returns**

 **We're back everyone! Based on the reviews and PMs I received, I can tell alot of you were pissed off at the cliffhanger last chapter. You know how that made me feel? I laughed my ass off. Anyway, this chapter will show Ash and Dawn's encounter just to make up for it. There are still a few more chapters left for the preliminary rounds and then it really starts!**

 **Oh, and please read the bottom note as well for an update on the story. On that note, I hope you all enjoy!**

 **-xXx-**

Full Summary: A loss can sometimes change a person. After Ash Ketchum mysteriously disappeared without a trace, his friends and family were left absolutely devastated. 3 years later, a tournament is being held in the exotic Dahara City, located in the faraway lands of the Kalos Region. Serving as the world's biggest event ever, trainers of all kind will be pit against each other in a battle for the best. Only the strongest of the strong can survive and go through the grueling journey. At first, entering the tournament seemed fun and worth a try, but when the missing trainer from Pallet Town returns to claim his place as the Pokemon Master, everyone has their mind set on finding their long lost friend. However, the Ash they once knew has completely changed and no one knows why. Along with old feelings resurfaced, ambitious rivals, and a dark plot endangering the lives of many, Ash and his friends are in for the toughest battles of their lives...

Normal Talk

 _Thoughts/Letters/Announcements/Flashbacks_

 **Pokemon talking**

 _ **Talking through aura/psychic ability**_

 **-xXx-**

~[Chapter 8: Conflicted]~

 **-Master League-**

 _I stared at the three Team Rocket guys who were sailing off into the sky. Those clowns tried to act all tough but they were just a joke. Even Piplup, who was standing right next to me with his chest pumped out, seemed to think the same._

 _*sigh* "Now that that's over with..." I turned my attention to the two boys next to me. The boy in the league cap was cradling his Pikachu, happily nuzzling it. The brown spiky haired boy and the Aipom were laughing along._

 _"So that's your Pikachu, huh?" The boy in the cap looked at me as I approached. I wore a sheepish smile on my face as I looked at the cute Electric type. I did try to attack and capture it thinking it was a wild Pokemon after all._

 _Nonetheless, the boy smiled at me as he stood up, holding his hand out. "Yeah! My name's Ash and this is my partner Pikachu! Thanks for helping us out back there! Those three never give stop trying to take our Pokemon!"_

 _"Pika!" the yellow mouse exclaimed, waving his tiny paw at me._

 _"And I'm Brock," the spiky haired boy said. "Nice to meet you."_

 _"I'm Dawn," I introduced. "Sorry for trying to catch your Pikachu. I thought it was a wild Pokemon."_

 _"Pip piplup!" Piplup walked over to Pikachu and held his flipper out. Pikachu happily took it._

 _"Oh, what's that?" Ash said. He pulled out a Pokedex, much to my surprise and scanned my Piplup. "You have a Pokedex too?"_

 _"Yeah," he nodded. "I've had it for a while. You look like a new trainer by the looks of it."_

 _"You got that right. I'm starting my journey today."_

 _"That's cool!" Brock said. "The two of us aren't even from Sinnoh, actually. We're from the Kanto region!"_

 _My eyes widened. "Really? Kanto? B-But that's so far!"_

 _Ash shrugged. "Eh, I don't really care. This is my fourth, no fifth region I'm going through if you want to count the Orange Islands." He said it like it was nothing too._

 _Brock noticed my expression and laughed. "Oh yeah, we've travelled through many regions! I know how you feel right now. This is how me and Ash felt when we started our journey."_

 _"That was you," Ash grumbled. "By the time I reached Pewter, I was already used to it. Same for Misty."_

 _I remember being shocked to the core. I met two veteran trainers on the first day of my journey. And that too, one of them was a trainer who participated in four league conferences already._

 _If I wasn't shocked as much then, I was certainly now when Ash walked up to me and said, "Hey, I have an idea. You said you're travelling the Sinnoh region, right? Well so are me and Brock! I was wondering if you'd like to come with us! It'd be fun to have another friend with us, someone who's grown up around here! Besides, you're pretty cool too."_

 _I looked at Brock and the Pokemon, seeing their welcoming looks, then to Piplup who was nodding. I then looked back at Ash and saw his smile. A friendly, welcoming smile. A smile that would soon help me become who I am today._

 _"Yes..." I slowly said. I smiled as well. "I'd love to go on a journey with you guys."_

 _After that, we set off on a journey that would change everything..._

 **-xXx-**

For a moment, they said nothing and stood there, staring at each other as if the world was ending. Neither could move nor say anything, too shocked to even blink.

Then, Dawn was the one to break the silence. "...Ash?"

The boy in red clothing said nothing, instead lowering his cap down to hide his eyes. He couldn't believe this. It seemed Arceus just loved to see him suffer. Why, oh why did it have to be HER of all peope?!

 **"Oh shit..."** Pikachu muttered. His trainer didn't even bother reprimanding him for his foul mouth. Instead, he shamefully looked down, avoiding the bluenette's eyes as she spoke.

"Ash...it's you," Dawn said. She took a step forward, catching his attention. Tears began to form in her eyes as she looked at the boy she had long desired to see for the past three years.

Piplup looked back and forth between the two trainers, not sure what he should do. **"This is awkward..."** the penguin muttered.

 _'Great. Just effing great! I try to avoid them all this time, I tried not to attract too much attention and yet here I am, right in front of the one girl who could always see through my mask!'_ Ash inwardly thought.

He said no more as Dawn suddenly threw her arms around him, enveloping him in a hug. His heart only ached further when he heard the light sobs coming from the bluenette.

And yet he could only stand there and do nothing.

Dawn pulled away, looking at the Kanto native. She couldn't believe that she was finally seeing him after all this time. _'I've missed you so much! I can't beleive this!'_

"I knew you were alive..." she said. "I knew you were still out there. And now I'm so happy to finally see you in person. Ash...I missed you so much." His heart further broke after hearing her say that, but he grit his teeth instead and showed no emotion.

"... ... ... ..."

Dawn looked at the trainer in confusion. "Ash? What's wrong? Why are you so quiet?"

"... ... ..."

"Ash? Come on, this isn't funny anymore!"

"... ..."

"Ash, please! Please talk to me! What's wrong?!"

"..."

"WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME?!"

Ash pulled away and briskly turned around. Dawn looked at his retreating figure and couldn't take it anymore, sinking to her feet and breaking down.

 **"Dawn?! Dawn, don't cry! Please!"** Piplup tried to comfort his trainer. He looked back at Ash, but the boy had already turned the corner and disappeared.

 _'Ash, why?! Why are you doing this?! Why didn't you answer me?!'_

Dawn's sobs didn't stop, making Ash grind his teeth. Tears formed in his eyes as he walked further away from the heartbroken girl, but he forcefully wiped them away.

 **"Pikapi..."** Pikachu gave his trainer a sad look.

Ash ignored him and continued to walk further away until he could barely hear her sobs. Even then, the pain didn't go away.

 _'I'm sorry...I'm sorry Dawn. I can't go back...I can't go back to you guys. I'm sorry...'_

 **-xXx-**

"Ouch! Hey, watch it!"

The group of kids ignored the woman as they ran off, playing whatever game they were doing.

Domino sighed, massaging her temples. Arceus, this job was so infuriating. She just wished she could get out of this stupid disguise already and unleash her wrath, but she knew better than that.

Her group was now inside the food court, lounging around and waiting for their boss' next orders. It was most definitely boring, having to do nothing while dealing with the excitement of a flawless plan that could give them a fortune.

"Ariana, how's the footage?" Archer asked, looking at his red haired accomplice. "Did you successfully send it to the others?"

"You better believe it," Ariana replied. She had her laptop on the table and was rapidly typing away. "We've walked around this place for so long, and we still have a ton of places to see."

Archer nodded and turned to the other executives. "I'm assuming you two have things under control?"

Proton smirked. "Well, what do you expect? All I have to do is lug this big ass equipment around all day and help you record everything."

"Heh, you got that right," Petrel grinned. "Oh, I can't wait to carry out the plan. With all these rare and powerful Pokemon here, our army will be unstoppable! I can't wait to see the looks everyone's faces!"

"Can it you fool!" Archer snapped, the harshness of his tone shutting the purple haired man up immediatly. "Quit babbling before someone hears us!"

Domino sighed. "Seriously, just sitting around and doing nothing is boring though. Those security guards won't let us anywhere near the control room and the boss doesn't want us going there right now too! I wonder just what is he doing?"

Archer nodded. "I wish I knew too. He's the boss though. He's always been a mysterious man."

"If you two are done yapping!" Ariana snapped, catching their attention. "We need to get more footage still! We're only here for seven days and we can only do so much in an area of this size."

Domino scowled at the woman. "Watch it, Ariana. I am your superior here, meaning I'm in charge! You'd better watch that tone otherwise you'll be sorry!"

Ariana looked ready to retort, but Proton put a hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Cool it, Ari. She's right though, Tulip." He made sure to emphasize her code name as her real name was known to be on the government's most wanted list.

"Fine," Domino said, standing up with the others. She turned around and gave Ariana a deep scowl, not realizing where she was going.

"Oh!" Domino stumbled back from the bump. She heard distinct snickering from her red haired comrade but didn't say anything, instead looking at the person she accidentally ran into.

The young man was certainly a strange sight, someone you wouldn't normally see. He had wild red hair that draped to his shoulders and was wearing a black jacket with blue jeans and black shoes, his hands concealed by the pitch black gloves he wore.

However, the most outstanding sight was his cold, silvery eyes that showed almost no emotion. The scowl he wore on his face topped off his all too intimidating look, one that even Domino wouldn't deny. Still, she had to keep it professional here.

Putting on the fakest smile she could muster, she let out a slightly high pitched "Sorry." The man's scowl didn't budge as he turned away and walked off without a word.

The others watched him go with confused looks. "Who was that?" Petrel asked.

"I dunno, probably some tough ass trainer or something!" Domino huffed, clearly not liking the intimidation she had before. "Come on, let's just go!"

 **-xXx-**

"Lucario, Flash Cannon!"

"Blaziken, Incinerate!"

A white beam of light collided with molting hot flames in the middle of the stadium, both pushing against each other as the Pokemon tried to overpower the other.

Then the resulting explosion knocked them back. Blaziken was the first to get up, immediatly firing a knife made out of wind at his opponent.

Lucario jumped out of the way and avoided the Air Slash that sliced the ground. A large blue bone then appeared in his hands as he darted towards his opponent with his enhanced speed and swung, his opponent leaping back to avoid the fatal blow.

Blaziken's fist burst in flames and he immediatly gave Lucario a fierce uppercut to the jaw that swept the jackal off his feet and hurtled him in the air.

"Jump Kick!" Blaziken crouched down and sprung in the air, thrusting out with his leg. Lucario, at the last second, caught the leg then swung upwards, propelling Blaziken further in the air.

Before both Pokemon could start their freefall to the ground, Lucario's trainer gave out another quick command. "Sky Uppercut!"

Blaziken was promptly smashed in the face and sent higher in the air. Lucario used the momentum to chase after, wielding his bone club again. Before he could swing, the Fire type flipped over and thrust out with both his feet.

The two were immediatly launched back on the ground, Lucario receiving the worst of it. Before he could get up, his opponent let on him with a furious beating with Close Combat.

Blaziken didn't let up until Lucario stopped trying to fight back. He slowly backed off the now battered opponent, thinking victory was his. As he reared back to deliver the final blow, Lucario sprung up and surprised his opponent with Reversal that connected with Blaziken's midsection, the power sending the Fire type skidding several feet back.

Lucario watched his opponent get up then lunged at him, continuing the ferocious battle.

 **-xXx-**

Gary watched with intent eyes as the two Pokemon on the field continued to duke it out. "Check out the stamina of those two. They've been going at it for a long time now."

"Well, it's their strongest Pokemon," Tracey said. "Obviously they're going to give it their all!"

Gary nodded. "Yeah, you're right." He turned his attention to the two trainers that were out on the field. "They look like really strong trainers too."

"Cameron and Harrison? Yeah, they're good," Drew nodded. "I've heard alot, especially that Harrison guy who was rumored to have almost beaten the Elite Four back when he won the Silver Conference."

"But Cameron's gotten stronger too," Iris said with wide eyes. "WAY stronger."

Leaf frowned. _'I've heard about those two as well. Ash lost to both of them when he took part in the Unova and Johto League. Kinda weird to see them battle each other, but oh well.'_

Part of her still bugged her. After all, she had finally come to know that her old friend was alive and kicking yet she still hadn't reunited with him. And what made it weirder was that she hadn't see a sign of him anywhere in the stadium. Just where did Ash go?

Just then, Dawn returned. Her eyes were a little red from crying but she slipped back into her seat quickly so no one noticed. She took notice of the battle raging bellow. "What's going on? Who are those two?"

Leaf turned to her and filled her in on the information as the battle continued on. Lucario and Blaziken were neck and neck, lost in a blue and red blur, fists flying. Both Pokemon's Close Combat was proving tough to the other, now slowly tiring out.

They broke away, panting heavily while slouching forward. Their trainers locked eyes with each other, knowing this was the last move that would determine the winner. They raised an arm up and shouted out their commands.

Harrison was the first to go. "Fire Blast!"

Cameron was next. "Extreme Speed!" He smiled, knowing it had worked out in his favor. Lucario was able to use his superior speed to avoid the Fire Blast, then charge at his opponent with the intent of taking him down. "Shadow Claw!"

Harrison desperately urged Blaziken to move, but it was futile. Lucario's dark claw slashed Blaziken's side before the he could move, resulting in the latter stumbling back and collapsing in a heap.

"Blaziken is unable to battle, meaning the red corner is the winner!"

The crowd cheered as Cameron thanked and returned his exhausted Lucario, then walked up to the middle of the stadium to shake hands with Harrison. The next two participants were shuffling through the names of everyone on the TV screen.

The announcer's voice boomed as the names came to a stop with two pictures lighting up on the screen. "AND NOW WE HAVE A SPECIAL MATCH BETWEEN TWO GYM LEADERS! ON THE BLUE CORNER, WE HAVE JOHTO'S FAVORITE BEAUTY OF GOLDENROD CITY, WHITNEY! AND ON THE RED CORNER, WE HAVE UNOVA'S FAMOUS POP ROXIE!"

The crowd roared as the two Gym Leaders made their way onto the field, a determined smile stretched across their faces. The referee made the call and the two threw their Poke Balls forward, revealing a Miltank on Whitney's side and a Scolipede on Roxie's side.

The two Pokemon lunged at each other as the battle begun.

 **-xXx-**

"Oooh, my feet hurt..."

"Quit whining and put that smile back on your face! We're doing a very important job here!"

Meowth sighed. Jessie was more bossy than ever ever since they had been assigned on this mission. Out of the three of them, she took the job more seriously since she wanted to impress the boss and rub it in Cassidy's face. It was the only thing Meowth regretted about doing this.

"Can't we at least sit down somewhere?"

"For the last time, NO! Stop being lazy and do what you are told to do! Why can't you be more like James?"

Said man was happily strolling down the aisles, handing out food and drinks to every person who raised their hands. He had the biggest, most dopiest smile on his face as he collected the cash from everyone.

"I still have my dignity..." the cat muttered under his breath.

 **-xXx-**

The young man walked into the empty hallway and came to stop in front of the windows. He gazed out over the city, taking in the sights from the very high floor.

 _'Nice view...'_ The man fished into his pocket and pulled out a phone. He quickly dialed in a number before raising it to his ear and waiting as the call continued to ring until a person picked it up on the other end. "Yes?"

"I'm here," the man spoke, his cold scowl unwavering. "I've made into the tournament, just as you said Looker. What now?"

"You made it? Huh, that was surprisingly fast," the guy known as Looker said from the other end. "Anyway, now you wait just as instructed before."

"Fine, but you know I can't wait," the man said. His metallic eyes scanned the horizon.

Looker chuckled from the other end. "I know you can't. And that's why you're going to have to get used to it from now on. In case you didn't know, working for the International Police requires lots of skill and patience is one of them."

"Hmph. I didn't ask for a lecture. Just tell me when to move."

"Soon enough. We will get to know when the enemy lets their guard down and that's when we strike. Until then, stay low and keep an eye out. Who knows, we may just be able to catch him this time."

"...alright. I'll keep you guys updated on the situation. I'll call you back later then."

"Got it. Remember, keep your emotions in control. I know how much this mission is important to you, but be calm and think rationally."

The man nodded. "Understood."

"Good luck, Silver..."

 **-xXx-**

 _I wasn't always this calm and mellow. I used to be quite a ruthless trainer. People who didn't know me personally took me for a cold hearted, selfish trainer who only cared winning and being the strongest out there. I'll admit, those were my thoughts at the time._

 _Paul Shinji, the cold trainer who hailed from the streets of Veilstone City. The guy who put his Pokemon through harsh, brutal challenges that were dubbed as 'training regiments,' and the guy who showed no courage and respect to any pitiful opponent he triumphed. One would say a being like him deserved nothing but to get the same punishment he gave out to everyone. That no one should bother with a guy who took advantage of the pride he was given. However, I disagree with that._

 _Because that person is ME._

 _Growing up in the lower parts of Veilstone toughened me up, but seeing my brother lose so badly to Pyramid King Brandon in front of me only made it worse. When he decided to quit being a trainer, that was the last straw. I swore to myself and everyone else that I would prove my brother and everyone else wrong about being a trainer. That's why I started my journey in Kanto first, rather than Sinnoh. I figured the best way for me to grow stronger was to travel through a foreign region first and get the hang of it._

 _Of course, I didn't go alone. Turtwig was right next to me, ready to follow any decision I made. The two of us travelled around Kanto, working our hardest and conquering any obstacle that came in our way. I caught a few Pokemon but Turtwig easily crushed the first two Gym Leaders, boosting my confidence even more._

 _It was then when I met Electivire. Back then, he was just a little Elekid who lived near the Power Plant in Vermilion City. I found him being bullied around by a bunch of older Electabuzz and I don't know why, but seeing the little Electric type get tossed around like a ragdoll seemed to spark something inside of me. A sign of weakness, something I loathed._

 _I remember going up to the beaten up Elekid and heaing it, then asking if he wanted to come with me. At first he seemed a bit reluctant at being captured but once I promised that he would get stronger, he agreed immediatly. We worked our butts off training day and night and easily sweeping any trainer who dared to challenge us. By then, I had caught a number of Pokemon but Turtwig and Elekid were my main two._

 _One day, Elekid even managed to beat those Electabuzz singlehandedly in a battle. I saw the willpower and determination in my Pokemon and that only fueled me to strive harder._

 _Eventually, I conquered all the gyms in Kanto and made it to the Pokemon League. Back then, my team composed of Grotle, Elekid, Rhydon, Fearow, Tentacruel, and Nidorino. I made it pretty far to the Top Sixteen but then got eliminated. However, it was there when I saw_ _ **him**_ _._

 _Ash Ketchum, progressing into the Top Sixteen with his faithful Pikachu. I had seen his team back then and was pretty impressed to find out most of his Pokemon were rare. That died down though when I saw most of that team wasn't even fully evolved considering his level back then. Hmph, what a waste of talent._

 _After my Kanto journey's end, I decided to travel through Johto next. I didn't do any better in the league there, barely reaching the Top Sixteen yet again. I was only determined even more after that, this time not holding back at all as I travelled through Hoenn. I had the best progress there and even had a new power packed team which included Grotle, Elekid, Lairon, Hariyama, Nidoking, and Ninjask. I made it to the Top Four this time and could have made it to the finals._

 _Could have. My last battle was against a trainer named Brendan. I remember him clearly, his Pokemon were on a whole different level. My team went down and the only one left standing was Grotle, who evolved into Torterra during a battle with Brendan's Swampert. While this may have been good, I was put at a complete disadvantage. Torterra had lost his speed and having evolved not even a minute ago, he wasn't used to his new body so he went down pretty easily._

 _Even though I lost, I was still satisfied with the result. After all, making it to the Top Four was no pushover. Eager to try out my new skills, I called Reggie and went straight to the Battle Frontier. I took up the challenge and won all the symbols, leaving me with the last challenge: the Pyramid King himself._

 _However, I quickly realized the horror of this situation. My team was not ready to go against Brandon's unstoppable Regi trio and I ended up losing 0-6. Brandon reprimanded me for my rash mistakes, but Reggie was furious. He asked what was I thinking and that I wasn't ready to challenge people like Brandon. Not only did I lose, but I had humiliated and embarassed my brother in front of my enemy as well. It made me furious thinking about it._

 _I wasn't butthurt about the loss though. If anything, it only fueled my determination to get stronger. By then, I had a new goal in mind and that was to overcome my biggest obstacle in life and redeem myself for that ugly loss. I began my travel in Sinnoh and this was a journey I would remember my whole life._

 _Up till then, I always thought that my training methods were superior to any other out there, as my Pokemon were stronger than the average. It wasn't until I met that kid one day when I was choosing which of the three Starly to keep and release._

 _Ash and Brock had come up to me, having mistook my Elekid's Thunderbolt for his Pikachu's. I didn't remember Ash since it had been a while in Kanto and that too was brief. I remember the guy getting up in my face and scolding me for my heartless actions when I released the two Starly. Despite that, I was undeterred and we even battled. I was a bit surprised when it ended in a tie, but I figured he must have had some luck, not to mention Chimchar's poor performance._

 _Chimchar...That was the root of our rivalry shooting up. Especially when I released the once weak Fire type. I couldn't take it anymore. Cynthia's Garchomp was alright, but against Ash's Aipom and that tag battle tournament, it was over._

 _What once was a small urge to beat the other had now turned into a fierce rivalry for a battle to the top. During my journey, my rivalry with Ash only seemed to grow which each encounter. And every battle seemed to have an effect on me. After all, he was the only regular trainer to give me a tough time. Everytime we fought, I could only think: was he right? Were my methods not working? However, my ego won out and I chose my beliefs over his. Hell, he even took Chimchar under his wing after I released it. I had scoffed back then._

 _It wasn't until the Sinnoh League that I finally remembered Ash and why I truly hated him. When I fought him in the league, I remembered that this was the same trainer from Pallet Town whom I saw make it to the Top Sixteen in Kanto. The same person I had scorned at his unevolved Pokemon. Seeing him this far in the league only made me angrier. Why? Because I knew the kind of talent he had and I admit, I would damn well wish for something like that. Ash was a lucky guy, only he didn't know it and that pissed me off._

 _Seeing him waste that talent in all those previous battles I had seen. It was truly pathetic, especially when he was stuck on his morals. I was so ready to put him in his place...what I was not ready for was the loss that barely snuck into the palms of my hands._

 _And it was by none other than his Infernape, formerly the Chimchar that I owned. He had barely won against my Electivire, only adding insult to injury. Truly my worst loss yet._

 _And I was not mad. Instead, I saw the real Ash in that battle. The one who had that talent...and used it wisely. Seeing him take my weakest Pokemon and help it grow strong enough to defeat me made me develop a new kind of respect for him, one that made me realize my errors and ditch those morals I held._

 _A wonderful thing to tell you the truth._

 _I had called Ash over and congratulated him with all honesty. He saw the change in me and forgave me for my actions, asking me for another rematch one day._

 _I remember the smirk that played on my face when I heard that. I shook his hand and promised one day, we would cross paths again and settle the score..._

Paul was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the other person in front of him.

"My bad..." Paul grunted as he and the other person bumped into each other and stumbled to the side. Paul looked at the person, but they were already gone. He looked around and caught sight of the red capped trainer wordlessly walking away through the crowd.

Paul stood there with a bewildered expression on his face. _'Was that...?'_

 **-xXx-**

Ash kept the stoic look on his face as he made his way back to his place, overlooking the stadium bellow. The current match was between Gym Leaders Roark and Burgh. Their Pokemon were out on the field, clashing their power with each other and causing havoc.

Both were down to the final Pokemon, but Roark's Rampardos seemed to be winning against Burgh's Leavanny, who was on her last legs. The insect clad in leaves leaped back as her ancient opponent crashed down on where she once stood, resonating a loud thud across the stadium.

Not wasting any time, the bug quickly whipped up a Leaf Blade and slashed at her opponent's side. Rampardos growled in pain, but otherwise appeared to be fine. He quickly slammed his rock hard head into Leavanny, sending the bug flying back where she landed on the ground with a dull thud.

Pikachu, who was perched on Ash's shoulder, glanced up at him in worry as the battle raged on. His trainer hadn't said a word after that... _encounter._ Just before, his trainer's eyes were brimming with excitement and joy and was now replaced by a dull, lifeless stare.

Pikachu had seen this look before. Back three years ago, after the Kalos League loss when he and his trainer had gathered their team and were on their way to Mount Silver. Anybody would think that after seeing him like this, the loss had gotten to him and he was overreacting.

That was not the case. What the trainer and his team had been through after that was too horrifying and it was something his six Pokemon never wanted to bring up ever again. So, Pikachu was naturally worried for his trainer's silent behavior right now.

He nudged his trainer, catching his attention. **"Pikapi? Are you okay?"** Ash didn't answer, but he nodded to answer the Electric type's question. Seeing the silent communication as a normal thing, Pikachu went back to watching the battle along with his quiet trainer.

It wasn't until Rampardos knocked Leavanny down and finished it with a Flamethrower that Ash suddenly spoke. "Pikachu...that was Dawn. She saw me..."

Pikachu looked at his trainer. **"Huh? Saw you? I mean, you were the first one to battle in front of everyone so she wasn't the only one-"**

"I left her!" Ash suddenly exclaimed. "I...she was so happy when she saw me, and then I...I messed up...again. I turned away from her when she needed me and now...now, she's probably hurt even more!"

He grit his teeth in anger, cueing Pikachu to slap his arm. **"Hey man, chill! Don't bring too much attention to yourself!"**

Ash growled as Pikachu continued. **"Look, I know how you feel right now. As much as I hate to say it, it was probably for the best if we didn't stay around. You know as well as I do we're not ready to go back yet. We can if we want to, but you've made the call and we're sticking by your side!"**

Ash sighed as he gripped the railing tighter. "I know, and I WANT to go back and greet everyone with open arms, but...what will they think of me? I don't want to be treated like the same weak kid I was three years ago! I don't want anybody's pity!"

Pikachu looked on solemnly as Ash sighed. "I don't want them to think I'm weak, Pikachu. You know what happened before, right? The incident that changed our lives forever. The main reason why I decided to change for the better!"

 **"I know. And that's why I say take your time. Go back when you feel you're ready. Don't worry about me or the others because we got your back! We know you've changed for the better...but please don't change for the worse. I don't want you turning into a cold and serious person, Pikapi!"**

Ash didn't say anything for a moment, then sighed as a small smile spread onto his face. "Yeah, you're right...I can't let the past get the better of me. You're right, Pikachu. We can do this. We'll make it through!"

 **"That's the Pikapi I know!"** Pikachu exclaimed, earning a laugh from his trainer. **"Glad to finally get your head together! Who knows what goes on in that weird ass mind of yours!"**

Ash smirked at his partner. He was right. No more turning back. He adjusted the brim of his cap as he looked out over the railing.

"The past is the past. Time to forget and move on to a brighter future. Let's work on what we actually came her for-to be the best like no one ever was!"

Pikachu flashed a grin and an enthusiastic fist pump in the air. **"PIKA!"**

 **-xXx-**

 **Haha, so alot of you were expecting Ash and Dawn's encounter to go a little better, but of course it's way too early for that! *Hides behind a riot shield* Um, I can see a lot of you leaving pissed off comments. Hehe...sorry. Anyway, I hope you like the flashbacks in this chapter. If you couldn't tell, Paul's flashback was my own take on his earlier journies through Kanto, Johto and Hoenn. You can see why (at least in my story) Paul's personality is such. And yeah, Silver's in the tournament as well! Wonder why he's here.**

 **So yeah, a little update here. Story progress will be a lot slower from now because my teenage life is slowly approaching its end. I'm moving on to the next step in life and am already writing college essays and such. Studying is taking up a lot of time in my life as well so it's kind of hard for me to write and update fast. No worries though, this story will NOT die or be abandoned. I will continue to write whenever I have the time because frankly, this is a story I enjoy writing, even more than my others. So yeah, I'm not leaving you guys, it will just take longer for the future chapters to come out. Don't expect an update soon. PEACE!**


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